As speculation continues that Thiago Alcantara is set to leave Barcelona for Manchester United, Adam Bate looks at what the Spain international could bring to the Premier League champions.
Sunday 7 July 2013 09:50, UK
Adam Bate looks at what Spain international Thiago Alcantara could bring to Manchester United.
As good as Leighton Baines is, you could almost sense the concern of Manchester United fans when the club was linked with a move for the Everton left-back. Not only is Patrice Evra a popular figure, but here was confirmation that David Moyes was intent on transforming United into a souped-up version of the Toffees rather than closing the gap on Bayern Munich. Supporters could be forgiven for readying themselves for the arrivals of Marouane Fellaini and Phil Jagielka. The prospective signing of Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona will do much to banish those thoughts. The 22-year-old Spain international is a hugely talented midfielder more than capable of playing the brand of football to which supporters aspire. With Paul Scholes finally retiring, there is huge anticipation that Thiago could fill that creative void in midfield - much to the annoyance of Barcelona fans who were hoping he could one day inherit the mantle of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta at Camp Nou. "There's lots of excitement about him, which is natural because he's a very talented player," Spanish football expert Sid Lowe told ESPN. "There's also a real irritation in Barcelona because they think it is ridiculous letting him go. I think a lot of Barcelona fans feel he should get more minutes. They certainly think that he should have got enough minutes to make sure that this buy-out clause loop-hole didn't exist because it is making him available for a relatively good price." That loop-hole comes into play because Thiago failed to play 30 minutes or more in 60 per cent of Barcelona's first-team fixtures last season. The consequence of this is that it will cost United €18million to buy-out Thiago's Barca contract rather than the €90m fee that would have applied. As such, the Italy-born player is available at a bargain price and represents a minimal-risk purchase for the Premier League champions. More significantly, he might also happen to be exactly what they need.Thiago - Passing comparison (La Liga 2012/13) | ||||||
Player | Apps | Mins | Passes | Passes per min | Pass % | Through-Ball success |
Thiago Alcantara | 27 | 1408 | 1760 | 1.25 | 91.8 | 50% |
Cesc Fabregas | 32 | 2321 | 2262 | 0.97 | 88.6 | 36% |
Xavi Hernandez | 30 | 2194 | 2886 | 1.32 | 94.8 | 24% |
Andres Iniesta | 31 | 2093 | 2243 | 1.07 | 90.5 | 36% |
Thiago - Offensive comparison (La Liga 2012/13) | ||||||
Player | Apps | Mins | Goals | Assists | Shots | Dribbles |
Thiago Alcantara | 27 | 1408 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 37 |
Cesc Fabregas | 32 | 2321 | 11 | 11 | 19 | 22 |
Xavi Hernandez | 30 | 2194 | 5 | 8 | 34 | 22 |
Andres Iniesta | 31 | 2093 | 3 | 16 | 35 | 68 |
Thiago - Defensive comparison (La Liga 2012/13) | ||||||
Player | Apps | Mins | Tackles | Mins per Tackle | Interceptions | Mins per Interception |
Thiago Alcantara | 27 | 1408 | 43 | 33 | 36 | 39 |
Cesc Fabregas | 32 | 2321 | 46 | 50 | 19 | 122 |
Xavi Hernandez | 30 | 2194 | 13 | 169 | 22 | 100 |
Andres Iniesta | 31 | 2093 | 33 | 63 | 15 | 140 |