Di Maria is a must for Manchester United and Real Madrid are like a child playing on FIFA

In weeks gone by, as per usual, Manchester United have been linked with every player under the sun with none of these links actually having any substance.

The past week has seen a different target emerge, one of which not many would have seen happening for two reasons; one: he usually plays out wide and our new systems might not suit him and two; surely Real Madrid aren’t stupid enough to sell him?

Throughout the summer Louis Van Gaal has dropped little hints such as “we don’t have a world class winger like Ronaldo or Di Maria”.

Add that to the fact the elusive Ed Woodward bragged that United could break the world transfer record and the news that Di Maria wants to leave and surely the deal is going to happen.

At any other club maybe…

As we always do, we are dragging our heels and the frustration just continues.

Don’t get me wrong our main priority is to sign a central midfielder and another centre back but Di Maria is a world-class match winner that will bring pace and excitement back to our starting 11.

We make more money a year than any other club in the world so why can’t we spend like others? This has been a frustration fans have had to deal with for years – it is time to buy. 

Real Madrid

Di Maria was arguably their best player last year – he definitely was in the Champions League final and yet they buy James Rodriguez who looks to have taken the Argentinian’s place in the first 11.

This typifies the nature of that club – buy, buy, buy and ignore the players we already have. They are like a child on FIFA buying all his favourite players and desperately trying to squeeze them all in the team.

Sami Khedira is another top player that looks to be on his way because Madrid prefer to have star names – that is the long and short of it.

Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are both superb – they’re amazing to watch and they can dictate a game by controlling the tempo but that looks like a very lightweight midfield to me.

Neither of them have a physical presence and I can see that midfield getting bullied without someone like Khedira in there. 

The fans will be in uproar if he is sold just as they were when Mesut Özil left for arsenal last year.

With Di Maria not really fitting into the 5-3-2 formation I think his arrival will spark a change as LVG said the only reason he plays that system is due to his lack of world class wingers.

Hello, my name’s Alex and I Google “Arturo Vidal Manchester United” 50 times a day

New manager, new system, new season, same result. That’s how a lot of people will be feeling after today’s game and I don’t blame them.

I do think people should focus on a number of positives though. Ander Herrera looks a real player and with the right person alongside him he will have no problem in running that midfield this year.

Phil Jones also looks like he might turn into the player we’ve all been hoping he will – he put in a really mature and committed performance against Swansea as too did young Tyler Blackett who looks a fantastic prospect.

That back three, however, is screaming out for a leader, an experienced head that will calm the youngsters at the back.

Now for the rant…

I’m far from happy with losing 1-2 at home but it may just be the best thing that could have happened.

Our saviour Louis Van Gaal has just been dealt the wake up call he may have needed and I assume he was straight to Ed Woodward’s office after the game demanding players.

Why we need to lose our first game to do this is beyond me.

For some strange reason we have been slow in the transfer market for years, I have no idea why this is but my word it is frustrating.

Chelsea have been incredibly efficient, landing top quality players with no long, painful and embarrassing transfer saga insight.

We have a habit of drawing the process out and a typical example of this is the situation with every United fan’s dream signing Chilean Arturo VIdal.

Arturo Vidal saga – I can’t take it anymore

I have developed OCD this summer. Some people have to switch the lights on and off ten times before they go to sleep whereas I have to Google “Arturo Vidal Manchester United” 50 times a day.

Naturally I ignore any publication that suggests the deal is not going through and when a sketchy Chilean newspaper says he has completed his 32nd medical with us I’m all over it.

Just how hard are these deals to complete? And what are we doing wrong?

I only have one comment to make on this deal and that is that it feels exactly the same as when we signed Wesley Sneijder… ohh wait.

I think we’re going to end up looking else where now because the fact I have had to search Vidal’s name 18 times whilst writing this makes me feel that it has gone on far too long for anything to actually surface.

Transfers

I’m not going to sit here and suggest that I know what’s going to happen because I don’t… although that doesn’t stop everyone else.

What I will also say is that we need two central defenders and a centre midfielder.

Below I have suggested a starting 11 which includes the signings I would like… So obviously Vidal is in there.

De Gea
Jones Benatia Rojo
Valencia Shaw
Vidal Herrera
Mata
Van Persie Rooney

5 in 5 out: The key to Manchester United securing a Champions League spot

By Alex Carey
With Manchester United falling to their seventh league defeat of the season at the weekend fans are calling for action to be taken.
It would seem more apparent than ever that new blood is needed at Old Trafford although many would argue that it is the same squad that won the league last season, I have three words; Sir Alex Ferguson.
Sir Alex not only built a reputation for creating some of the most feared squads in the sport but he also had the ability to turn average players into champions – something that David Moyes evidently does not have.
I will start by defending Moyes in saying that the squad he was left by his predecessor was in no way a gift but Sir Alex had a way of getting players to perform beyond their capabilities.
Manchester United currently sit at seventh in the Premier League and 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
Manchester United’s business model is based on success and if they miss out on a top-four spot this season that means no Champions League and no €35 million, that they received from last year’s competition as well as an inevitable decrease in shirt sales.
A Champions League spot for Moyes is of paramount importance and MM have underlined five players that must go and five players that must replace them in order for this to happen.
Five Out:
Anderson
Currently on loan at Fiorentina, having made just three starting appearances under David Moyes, he has had more than six years to prove his worth and despite an impressive first season has not fulfilled his potential.
The 25-year-old Brazilian often looks off the pace and at times simply not hungry enough to succeed and if his loan move turns into a permanent one it will be the best arrangement for both player and club.
Nani
The Portuguese winger has also been given too many chances to prove himself since 2007 and his inconsistency and reluctance to reach his potential has frustrated fans for far too long.
Ashley Young
The winger, who would give Tom Daley a run for his money, gives the ball away too often and creates very little chances.
Tom Cleverley
A number of fans may not want him to leave but for a central midfielder he does not get nearly enough assists or score enough goals – his general link-up play, passing range and passing tempo is great to watch but he does not create chances.
Patrice Evra
The time has now come for the Frenchman to move on, with his defensive qualities deteriorating in the last three seasons, he is no longer the rock he once was.
Five in:
Juan Mata
The unsettled Spanish play-maker was an un-used substitute yet again at the weekend and selling him could prove to be the best option for both player and club.
There is no doubt that the lack of playing time will affect his match-sharpness but let’s be realistic; Mata is a world-class player and if Chelsea are willing to sell him United should swoop in as he will add an element of flair and vision that Moyes’ side are low on.
Yohan Cabaye
In 2007 Sir Alex thought he had replaced Paul Scholes with both Owen Hargreaves and Anderson having terrific first seasons but Hargreaves saw his career ended by injury and Anderson failed to build on his good start.
An empty space has since been present in United’s engine room with Darren Fletcher side-lined for years with illness and Scholes eventually retiring, Michael Carrick has been left to run games alone.
The Old Trafford faithful has been crying out for an all-round central midfielder for years and after a summer of embarrassingly chasing Cesc Fabregas the Reds need someone to stabilise things.
Look no further than Yohan Cabaye, he ticks all the boxes required for the job; creative, aggressive, dictates play and is a realistic and available target in January.
Eliaquim Mangala
Something else Saturdays defeat taught us is that Nemanja Vidic is no longer the force he once was and that a new central-defensive rock is needed to give surety.
Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala, 22, should be brought in and placed under the wing of Vidic, however, he will not come cheaply with Porto reportedly wanting £40 million for the Frenchman.
Fabio Coentrao
For the reasons given above Evra is very much in the latter stages of his playing career and a perfect replacement would be Real Madrid’s Fabio Coentrao.
At the age of 26 the Portugese international will provide more of a long term replacement for Evra than Everton’s Leighton Baines.
İlkay Gündoğan
Finally, a bigger signing in centre midfield is needed; I have left this until last as this is a transfer most likely to happen in the summer window.
There are a number of players that could fit the bill, the likes of Arturo Vidal, Koke and Paul Pogba have been mentioned in other publications but the best option for United is Borrussia Dortmund’s İlkay Gündoğan.
The German international will offer United a new lease of life with his energy, dictation of play and box-to-box playing style.
This deal will be best left for the summer as it will allow him time to recover from a niggling back injury and will also provide United’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Ed Woodward, with more time to seal the deal as he is not known for his urgency in the market.

Tags: Manchester united, transfers, players, players to sell, İlkay Gündoğan, david moyes, Fabio Coentrao, Patrice Evra, Juan Mata, Yohan Cabaye, Tom Cleverley, Anderson, Nani, Ashley Young, chelsea

Sunderland 2 Southampton 2

Adam Johnson continued his form in-front of goal as he sealed a point for Sunderland after they went two goals down in the first half.

A first half dominated by Southampton saw Jay Rodriguez and Dejan Lovren put them 2-0 before Fabio Borini pulled one back for Sunderland.

The second half was an end-to-end encounter with Adam Johnson making the most of an opening to fire the Black Cats level.

The point moves Sunderland up to 18th while Southampton remain at 8th, however, the Saints will be more concerned with what appeared to be serious injuries to both Lovren and Gaston Ramirez.

Southampton’s Rodriguez superbly struck his 11th goal of the season to put the resignation of their Chairman, Nicola Cortese out of mind after four minutes.

The Saints continued to create chances with their 75 per cent possession 21 minutes in when Ricky Lambert narrowly missed the target after a flowing team move.

Lovren doubled Southampton’s lead after 31 minutes with a guided volley from Steven Davis’ corner.

A minute later Borini pulled one back for Sunderland with his shot creeping into the bottom corner of Artur Boruc’s goal.

Sunderland started the second half brightly and Borini appeared to put them level but he was rightly judged offside and his 65th minute goal was disallowed.

Johnson scored his fourth goal in two games to draw Sunderland level after 71 minutes with a powerful strike.

Southampton were forced into using their last two substitutions as Ramirez and Lovren were both stretchered off after 87 minutes.

Sunderland were unable to add to the three game winning streak with it finishing in a draw.

Wenger and Moyes in transfer turmoil as they both have low bids rejected

 

 

 

 

Although the two managers started their Premier League campaigns with completely different results, they have started this week in a very similar fashion.

Both David Moyes and Arsene Wenger have this morning made transfer bids that can only be described as old fashioned and insulting to the clubs on the receiving end.

Let’s start with David Moyes. It emerged this morning that Manchester United have made a joint bid for midfielder Marouane Fellaini and left-back Leighton Baines. The amount offered is said to be £28 million – with £16 million offered for Fellaini and the remaining £12 million for Leighton Baines.

Everton were quick to reject the bid and publicly labeled it as ‘derisory and insulting’. This bid to me makes no sense what so ever, considering that Fellaini’s buy-out clause of £23 million has recently expired, why would Everton accept any less than this?

I believe that Everton would be wise to sell Baines for anything above £15 million as at the age of 29 he is entering his final years in top flight football and Roberto Martinez should take the money whilst it is still on the table. Having said this, I still strongly feel that £12 million is far too low a price for a player that has proven himself to be a world class full-back.

Now on to Fellaini. Let’s turn the clock back to this time last year when Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini dominated Manchester United to claim a 1-0 opening day win for David Moyes’ Everton side. This performance was the catalyst for a number of incredible displays from the midfielder which then highlighted just how talented the Belgian international is. Manchester United’s valuation of £16 million is an insult to Everton and it will not sit well with the Mersyside club.

I’m assuming that United will return with improved offers for the duo. With the first offer being so low and with Everton being so insulted by the size of it – it will surprise me if Everton entertain any offers at all from David Moyes’ new side. If Everton are willing to negotiate I feel that United should start with something in the region of £40 million if they are serious about signing the duo.

Moving on to Arsenal’s £10 million bid for French international Yohan Cabaye. I genuinely feel sorry for Arsenal fans who woke up this morning to this revelation. 

This weekend we saw Arsenal fans turning on Wenger as Arsenal’s lack of activity in the transfer window was exposed during a 1-3 home defeat to Aston Villa. 

Yohan Cabaye is a French international midfielder and has attracted interest from a vast number of clubs this summer. Cabaye has been described by Newcastle Manager Alan Pardew as ‘world class’. Newcastle unsurprisingly rejected Arsenal’s bid which I assume is no way near the Magpie’s valuation of Cabaye.

With injuries to Arteta, Rosicky and Diaby I can see why Wenger has bid for Cabaye but £10 million would only have been enough for a player of Cabaye’s class 10 years ago. This is a very outdated figure and Newcastle will not be happy with it.

 

To sum up…

I now feel that David Moyes is still in a position to make this transfer window a successful one. With Michael Carrick being the only central midfielder United have of the right quality, reinforcements are needed. I would be happy if United land Fellaini as his muscle and composure on the ball mixed with his strength in the air would relieve Carrick of some of his defensive duties and will free him up to focus on play making. 

I then feel that Moyes should go all out for Real Madrid  midfielder Luka Modric. The Croatian international will effectively link up the midfield and attack whilst adding a bit of flair to a currently dull midfield. Manchester United played with three central midfielders against Swansea: Carrick, Giggs and Cleverley. Change that to Carrick, Fellaini and Modric and you have a world class midfield that could be playing behind the likes of Van Persie, Rooney, Kagawa, Hernandez and Wellbeck – sounds good to me.

I’m in favor of the Baines move but I do not feel it is essential. The midfield needs to be looked at before any other area but when that business is done I think that Baines is a perfect instant replacement for an ageing Patrice Evra. The likes of Buttner and Fabio are waiting in the wings but are probably not quite ready for the starting 11 yet – the signing of Baines will bide them some time to mature and develop. 

Possible starting 11: De Gea, Rafael, Vidic, Ferdinand, Baines, Carrick, Fellaini, Modric, Kagawa, Van Persie, Rooney.

 

Now on to Arsenal’s situation. I honestly feel they have left it far too late this year as it is not just one position they need to strengthen. First and fore most, a world class striker is needed but because Arsenal yet again haven’t acted quickly enough – there are none available. Cavani and Falcao have already secured moves and it appears that Benteke, Suarez, Rooney and Lewandovski are all set to stay at their current clubs. I think a swoop for Samuel Eto’o would be wise as he would add class and maturity to a young and inexperienced Arsenal side.

Cabaye would be a great addition too but Arsenal will need to up their offer for him to secure him in time. The North London club also need a strong and commanding center-half but yet again I am struggling for options. Paris Saint Germain defender Mamadou Sakho has expressed his desire to leave the club and why Arsenal haven’t already snapped him up is beyond me – he would be a great signing and would strengthen Arsenal at the back significantly.

Wenger also needs to be looking at signing a new winger – someone with a bit of creative flair but I’m unsure of where to begin with this one. 

Basically a lot of business needs to be done at the Emirates in the next two weeks and I feel that Wenger will run out of time and will miss out on his targets.

Manchester United’s alternatives to Cesc Fabregas

With how public Moyes has been and how quiet Fabregas has been, I do genuinely believe that there is still a good chance of United signing the former Gunner but they must consider back-up options.

New Barcelona Manager Gerrado Martino will be very reluctant to make his first bit of business at the Nou Camp to sell a high profile player. Taking this into consideration David Moyes must assess his options, as recruiting a new central is vital.

So, other than Cesc Fabregas, who could partner Michael Carrick in the centre of the park?

Ilkay Gundogan:

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has emerged in the last couple of seasons as one of the most promising midfielders in European football. At the age of just 22, he has broken into the Dortmund first team and has established himself as a vital part of the German club’s starting 11.

Gundogan is great on the ball, has a brilliant passing range, can get forward and score goals as well as being great when winning back possession and breaking up play. He is a type of all-round midfielder and at the age of just 22 could run United’s midfield for at least 10 years.

I do not only feel that he is a great alternative to Fabregas, I genuinely believe that he should have been considered first as this guy will be world class when he peaks. He is a very exciting footballer and I feel that a bid should be put in.

Luka Modric:

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has struggled to establish a regular starting 11 spot at Madrid and it is being reported that the Croatian playmaker could be lured back to the Premier League.

All fans of English football know exactly what this guy is about. He is a very intelligent player with great link-up play, brilliant on the ball, can find the final ball and finds almost impossible gaps in the oppositions defence. To add to that all Manchester United fans found out last year that he can finish as well.

Fabregas and Gundogan would both be great signings and if either cannot go through I would be more than happy for Modric to arrive at Old Trafford this summer.

Marouane Fellaini:

I don’t think we should forget just how good Fellaini was when he almost bullied United to secure an Everton when on the first game of last season. Ever since David Moyes arrived at Everton there has been speculation linking the Belgian midfielder with a move to join his former boss at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old midfielder is strong, skilful, intelligent, and great in dispossessing opposition players and has an eye for goal. This would be the easy option for Moyes as he knows exactly what he’s getting and how to get the best from him.

I, however, do not feel he is what we need and doubt whether he could keep up with the pace that Manchester United play at. I cannot see this happening as David Moyes will have a very disgruntled set of fans to deal with as this is not the kind of marquee signing that they were promised.

I think it is safe to say that David Moyes has a huge decision to make and with this being his first signing it needs to be the right one or he could see himself being turned on by the Old Trafford crowd.

Fabregas would be a fabulous addition. He has everything that United are looking for and could be the replacement to Paul Scholes that we have all been waiting for. Barcelona’s reluctance to sell could however be a blessing in disguise as I feel that Gundogan would also be brilliant signing – if United sign either of these players I will be very happy with Modric being a ver good back-up option.

Now please get things moving Mr Moyes.

Manchester United make Fabregas bid

It has emerged today that Manchester United have made a bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

The fee offered is said to be in the region of around £25million – coming just a day after Thiago Alcantara agreed to move to Bayern Munich from Barcelona.

This attempt to sign the fomer Arsenal captain has so many talking points I don’t know where to start.

After it was revealed yesterday that Thiago Alcantara is joining Bayern Munich, Manchester United fans must have been left wondering, why didn’t we make a bid? There are two possible explanations, one of which being David Moyes didn’t act quick enough and the second being that Moyes already had his eye on Fabregas. This bid was either done in desperation or was planned for some time.

If Thiago would have stayed at Barcelona I would say that this transfer had a chance of going through but I personally do not feel that Barcelona will let both players go in one transfer window. Xavi is now 33 and Fabregas appears to be the natural successor, I do NOT think that the Catalan giants are willing to lose two central midfielders in one window.

If Barcelona do agree to sell Fabregas – as he has struggled to win over the Barcelona fans – Manchester United would be instantly hit with a clause in Fabregas’ contract. Arsenal have first refusal on the Spanish Midfielder and if United have a bid accepted Arsenal would instantly get the option to buy him.

The only way that United could land the 26-year-old playmaker is to offer Barcelona a fee that Arsenal can not match and £25million is not only too low for Barca to accept but it is also low enough for Arsenal to match. I am fairly confident that given the choice, Fabregas would pick Arsenal over Manchester United.

Naive

I can only put this bid down to the naivity of the new Manchester United boss. David Moyes has never worked with such a big budget before and hasn’t done business with Europes top clubs before. I think this bid will get laughed out of the Nou Camp and will not go through.

Even if Barcelona are open to selling Fabregas, Arsenal will snap their former captain up before you can say ‘hijack’.

From the perspective of a Manchester United fan, this is very frustrating. Thiago appeared to be the perfect signing and don’t get me wrong Fabregas would be brilliant at Old Trafford but there is far too many factors standing in the way of this potential move.

There is a huge hole in United’s midfield and Moyes must target a realistic player to fill it.

Share your views below…

Thiago officially joins Bayern Munich – Are Manchester United in trouble?

The Thiago Alcantara saga is finally over, after weeks of speculation surrounding the 22 year-old Spaniard he has now agreed to move to German and European champions, Bayern Munich.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with the Barcelona man but they have now officially lost out on their man. It did appear at one point that Thiago was certain to sign for United as there is a huge Thiago shaped hole in their midfield alongside Michael Carrick. There are just two possible reasons for the midfielder not signing for Manchester United one of the is that they were out done by the German giants with the second explanation being that David Moyes never actually perused Thiago.

If Manchester United were simply out-done by Bayern then this looks very bad for the English champions. It is an indication that they no longer have the pull that they once had and that Bayern are now a superior force and this has to leave fans asking themselves, where do we turn to? and are the standards of our transfer targets lowering? These could potentially be worrying times for United fans.

I personally feel that Thiago has made an error in signing for Bayern as his chances will still be limited as he will be competing with the likes of Javi Martinez, Toni Kroos, Luiz Gustavo, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Götze for a first team place. If he had of signed for United he would have fit into the starting 11 alongside Michael Carrick with no real competition – I just feel that he will not find what he seeks in Germany.

It is quite clear that Manchester United are in desperate need of a central midfielder to partner the reliable Michael Carrick. Thiago appeared to be the perfect signing and either David Moyes has missed out on his man or he has another player in mind, perhaps PSV Eindhoven’s Kevin Strootman.

As good as Kevin Strootman looks I feel that now Thiago is not available – on top of Kevin Strootman – David Moyes needs to make a big signing to reassure United fans and to add more quality to the United squad.

The only way David Moyes can now justify not signing Thiago Alcantara is to sign big and the only two players big enough to cast a shadow over losing out on Alcantara are Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

The funds appear to be available as Moyes told Sky Sport News, “”Isn’t it great that the club says, ‘There’s no budget here, you go get who you want to get, just go and do it’.”

“I will not name anybody, but certainly we are always looking at the best players. I think we are trying to strengthen in a couple of areas. We are short in midfield.” – Moyes added.

I feel that now the only way for Moyes to win over the fans this transfer window is to sign Kevin Strootman as well as either Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale.

 

Tell me your views…

Thiago Alcantara to Bayern Munich?

 

The Spanish Under-21’s golden boy, Thiago Alcantara’s summer of speculation has taken another turn this week with Pep Guardiola publicly declaring that he wants to bring the midfielder to Bayern Munich.

Although all summer we have heard nothing from Thiago himself in regards to his future, reports are suggesting that the Italian born midfielder will reunite with Guardiola.

It does appear that now Manchester United and Bayern Munich will fight it out for the 22-year-old’s signature but which club will attract him more?

Looking at Bayern Munich, they are European and German champions with a squad that has only been improved by the arrival of midfielder Mario Götze and manager Guardiola. The draws to the German club for Thiago are first of all an opportunity to work with his former manager again. Pep Guardiola was a huge success and a very popular character at Barcelona. Secondly Thiago would be joining the best team in Europe and his chances of winning silverware would be very high.

There is however a reason why the Spaniard may not choose Bayern Munich. The reason that Thiago wishes to leave Barcelona is to gain more playing time but will he really be able to achieve this at Bayern Munich? 

With central midfielders such as Javi Martinez, Toni Kroos, Luiz Gustavo, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Götze to contend with Thiago could see himself still struggling to make the starting 11.

Now let’s look at what could bring him to Manchester United. First of all the opportunity to work with Spanish under-21 team mate and friend, David De Gea who left a message for Thiago on the match ball he received for scoring a hat trick in the European under-21 Championship Final. The Manchester United goalkeeper who cheekily wrote ‘Nos Vemos en Manchester’ which translates to ‘see you in Manchester’ would like to see the Barcelona midfielder come to Old Trafford.

Secondly, I feel that Thiago will be able to obtain more starting 11 opportunities at United. With Michael Carrick being the Red’s only consistent central midfielder in the starting 11, Thiago would slip straight into the first 11 and would probably be a key player. I feel that United need him more than Bayern and could offer him what he wants in terms of minutes on the pitch. 

Also after the Lucas Moura fiasco of last summer if United loose out on another top talent, the Old Trafford faithful will be very disgruntled and concerned.

 

Tell me what you think…

 

Thiago Alcantara move to United – a shift in power?

 

With the transfer of 22-year-old Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona to Manchester United looking more likely by the day, is this an indication of a change in power in European football? Or is he simply looking to use Old Trafford as a stepping stone to better things.

I am not naive enough to suggest that the current great Barcelona team are down and out but I feel that they are no longer the superior force that they have been over the last five years.

Over the last two seasons Chelsea and Bayern Munich have shown that Barcelona are not unplayable and moreover Bayern Munich showed that they can be thumped.

I believe that a certain level of complacency has creeped into the Barcelona side and the dynamic duo of Xavi and Iniesta were left wanting – something that also became apparent when Spain were demolished 3-0 by Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final.

Something else that was revealed in that game is that it appears Neymar is the huge talent that we were told he is. Neymar is obviously a fantastic player but when you have Lionel Messi as your number 10, do you really need Neymar? – who plays in the same position.

To me this is a typical move of one of the big two Spanish clubs. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona seem too concerned with bringing in a big name rather than assesing the players they have infront of them.

With Xavi now coming of age the Barcelona midfield needs a revamp – they need something fresh and new and it was there in the shape of Thiago all along. Thiago has obviously become frustrated with being over-looked and a move to Old Trafford looks imminent.

The footballing world was shown by Bayern Munich how to play against Barcelona and I can not see Neymar impacting on this too much. The driving force behind that great Barcelona team was the partnership of Xavi and Iniesta but now their formula has been exposed, Thiago could have been a breath of fresh air.

We could start to see more and more players chosing Premier League and Bundesliga teams over Barcelona as they will be garunteed more playing time and will be able to play with more creativity. Could this be the end of a domminant Barcelona?

The photo above is of Carles Puyol putting a Barcelona shirt on Cesc Fabregas whislt he was still an Arsenal player after Spain’s 2010 World Cup win.

This was an image that was seen around the world and was a blatant disrespect to Arsenal. If Manchester United are to sign Thiago Alcantara is this an image that we will be seeing again?

My only worry about United signing the Italian born- Spaniard is that he will one day ask for a return to the Nou Camp. We have seen both Fabregas and Pique use the Premier League as a platform to showcase their talents, develop and secure a deal back to their childhood club.

The worry is that Thiago would move to United, reach his peak and leave but United are not a selling club. Thiago would be brought in as a long term replacement for Paul Scholes – a legendary figure that played for Manchester United for 20 years. His replacement needs to be a player that stays for a number of years so I would say that one thing that needs to be ironed out before he signs is his commitment to the club.

If Thiago does sign and does stick around – with other young players such as De Gea, Jones and Rafael – United could be in place to domminate Europe themselves.

Tell me what you think.