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As always, the summer transfer window has been dominated by the sagas.
For Manchester United, it was Jadon Sancho. The Borussia Dortmund star is a prime target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but the winger is no closer to moving to Old Trafford five weeks after the business opened. Dortmund set an artificial deadline of August 10 to complete a deal for Sancho and is confident that he will remain in Germany.
United remain hopeful of a deal but have refused to abide by Dortmund’s £ 108m valuation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
For Liverpool, one name has dominated the last pages: Thiago Alcantara. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders on the planet, the Spaniard drove Liverpool fans crazy with reports saying he would love to move on to the Premier League and work with Jurgen Klopp.
Despite countless claims in Germany suggesting his move to Anfield is a formality, the Echo of Liverpool report Liverpool’s interest is not as concrete as it seems. Bayern are willing to sell Thiago after winning the Champions League, given that he has a year left on his contract and wants a new challenge.
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says the Bundesliga champions expect an offer for Thiago in the coming days.
“We are waiting for an offer from another club in the next few days,” he said. World on Sunday.
“He told us that at the end of his career, he would like to try something new.”
Unsurprisingly, United are the latest club to be linked with a move for the 29-year-old as Liverpool continue to evaluate their options in the market. Solskjaer is eager to contribute to his midfield and MEN Sport understands that the Reds continue to monitor Ajax star Donny van de Beek after he was absent from the Ajax friendly team on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether United’s interest in Thiago is real or is it another attempt to speed up the action of their rivals.
Given that Bayern Munich value the former Barcelona star at £ 29 million, it could be a wise move for United to pursue his signing.
First of all, Thiago’s landing would be a significant blow to his fierce rivals, given that Jurgen Klopp is a huge fan of the the farmhouse graduate. Many believe that the Spanish international can help take Liverpool to the next level and guide them into another dominant season in the Premier League. Former United striker Wayne Rooney went so far as to say that Liverpool signing Thiago would be better than Manchester City by securing the signing of Lionel Messi.
Hiring a player wanted by the champions would be a serious blow to their chances of retaining the crown and a boost to United’s hopes of winning it.
Second, Thiago would help ease the burden on Paul Pogba’s shoulders. Solskjaer has chosen to use the Frenchman as a midfield pivot alongside Nemanja Matic to support Bruno Fernandes ahead. The current United squad lacks a player who offers the same qualities as the World Cup winner. Fred and Scott McTominay are solid options on the team, but they don’t have the passing range or technical ability to fill that role.
Thiago has been at the forefront of Bayern Munich’s title-winning machine and is a master with the ball. His skill was in the open for all during the Champions League final victory against Paris Saint-Germain and the 8-2 demolition of his former team, Barcelona, in the quarter-finals. It was no accident that Pep Guardiola made Thiago his first signing in Germany after taking the reins of the Bundesliga team. Speaking of Liverpool’s interest in Thiago, he had no doubt that it would be a success in England.
“There is no question about it,” he said. “A player who plays for Barcelona and Bayern Munich can play in the Premier League. Of course he can play. He’s an exceptional player, but I don’t know what he’s going to do.”
Ultimately, Thiago would bring the attitude of a winner to Solskjaer’s young and hungry team. The Champions League medal he collected in Lisbon was the second of his career after lifting the famous trophy with Barcelona in 2011. His trophy cabinet contains four Spanish league titles, two Spanish cups, seven German league titles and four german glasses. His experience delivering at the highest level would be invaluable to United’s young players looking to cement their legacy at Old Trafford.
Chelsea have already benefited from Liverpool’s hesitancy in the transfer market by signing Timo Werner from RB Leipzig this summer and United should do the same with Thiago.
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