Manchester United to complete Alcantara's signing this week

Manchester United to complete Alcantara's signing this week

                                                                               

Manchecter United are putting finishing touches on a deal to land Thiago Alcantara. The 22 year old who is expected to join the Old trafford outfit before this week runs out has an €18m release clause that David Moyes is set to trigger after the Nou Camp side failed to offer the talented midfielder the requisite appearances that would have seen that size of the player’s release clause soar to €90m, seemingly suggesting that Tito Vilanova was ready to cash in on the Spanish international.

Alcantara joined Barcelona in 2005 and despite being generally considered a player with a great deal of ability the box to box midfielder has never managed to secure a regular first team spot and since the return of Cesc Fabregas to the club his chances have become all the more limited.

After paying £48m to sign Brazilian sensation Neymar the La Liga title holders lack the requisite funds to properly invest in a defence that could well do with improvement, with the likes of PSG’s Thiago Silva and Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels said to be on the club’s wish-list, neither being available ‘on the cheap’ by any means, it’s clear the club could do with selling players to help make such additions.

Vilanova may well feel that despite his obvious talents Thiago Alcantara is a player he can afford to lose.

David Moyes will be keen to freshen up his midfield, with Paul Scholes retiring for a second time and Darren Fletcher still feeling his way back from long term illness. If you factor in that Anderson continues to flatter to deceive and Tom Cleverley struggles to consistently make an impact then a move to offer support to Michael Carrick with a move for Alcantara makes a great deal of sense.