Thiago can be signed for just £12.8m after not playing enough matches for Barca.
There is good news for Manchester United heading into the transfer market as midfield target Thiago Alcantara can be signed for a cut-price £12.8million from Barcelona, reports Spanish website elpais.com.
The midfielder would be available for such a relatively low fee having failed to play a high enough percentage of the Catalans matches this season.
A clause in Thiago’s contract stipulates that he has a minimum release fee of £77million – but only if he plays 60% of the side’s matches, if not it drops to £12.8million.
Having only appeared in 47% of Barca’s games with just two fixtures left in the campaign, the 22-year-old will certainly not meet his 60% quota.
This development could be music to the hears of new Red Devils boss David Moyes, who has targeted Thiago as the ideal replacement for the retired Paul Scholes.
Initially it was thought Moyes was hoping to tempt the Catalonia side with a bid in the region of £21million, but he now looks able to snap up the Spaniard for a little over half that.
In an era when clubs spend way over the odds on average footballers – step forward Andy Carroll – the player dubbed as the ‘new Xavi’ would be a comparative steal if he were brought to Old Trafford for just over £10million.
Thiago is a Barca youth player and since breaking into the first team during the 2008/09 season has made 98 appearances for the Spanish champions in all competitions.
United will have to move fast for the young midfielder’s signature however as bids from Germany and other Premier League sides are expected following this new financial development.
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