Old Trafford supremo felt Spaniard was too lightweight for the Premier League.
Manchester United boss David Moyes turned down the chance to Spanish prodigy Thiago Alcantara, according to The Guardian.
Thiago completed a £21.6m move from Barcelona to European Champions Bayern Munich on Sunday, despite rumoured interest from Man United.
It was widely reported that new Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, who handed Thiago his Barca debut back in 2009, helped the Bavarians beat United to the 22-year-old’s signature but the Guardian reports Moyes rejected the opportunity to bring the player to Old Trafford.
The newspaper claims United could have signed the player during the past fortnight, before Bayern entered the running, but former Everton manager Moyes was not convinced by the playmaker.
It is understood Thiago was keen to join United but the Scot felt he might struggle with the physicality of the Premier League.
Thiago, the son of Brazilian World Cup Mazinho, caught the eye during this summer’s under-21 European Championships, scoring a stunning hat-trick in the final against Italy, a 4-2 triumph for Spain.
The youngster has already earned three senior caps for his country and reportedly decided to leave the Nou Camp in order to boost his chances of playing in next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
The central midfielder made 68 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, scoring seven goals.
Moyes, meanwhile, has turned his attentions to Thiago’s former Barca teammate Cesc Fabregas and is said to have tabled a £26m bid for the former Arsenal captain.
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