Thiago Alcantara | Signed for Bayern Munich

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Rozay said:
Santi has started plenty of games for them over the years, and I imagine they would be next in line before Thiago.

Benat is another option they have used, but I think Santi would be next in.
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Mata, Silva as well, if we include attacking midfielders. Don't think Santi is an option in central midfield though. Should be interesting how Spain is playing at the Confed-Cup next month, if he continues to ignore Martinez for example.
 
Balu said:
Mata, Silva as well, if we include attacking midfielders. Don't think Santi is an option in central midfield though. Should be interesting how Spain is playing at the Confed-Cup next month, if he continues to ignore Martinez for example.
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Santi often plays in central midfield for Spain, that's generally how they use him I think. He plays in the middle group as opposed to the front three, where Silva and Mata often operate for Spain.
 
Really? Can't remember any of those games. But I haven't watched all friendlies and qualification games over the last years. He never played there in any of the tournaments, did he?
 
Yep, Spain has a ridiculous amount of quality midfielders.
Busquets, Alonso, Xavi, Martinez, Carzola, Thiago
Iniesta, Silva, Mata, Isco, Fabregas

I'm sure I'm even forgetting a couple! Pity that their strike force seems to have vanished!
 
Ish84045 said:
Yep, Spain has a ridiculous amount of quality midfielders.
Busquets, Alonso, Xavi, Martinez, Carzola, Thiago
Iniesta, Silva, Mata, Isco, Fabregas

I'm sure I'm even forgetting a couple! Pity that their strike force seems to have vanished!
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Spain played a 4-6-0 in the Euros :D
 
Ish84045 said:
Yep, Spain has a ridiculous amount of quality midfielders.
Busquets, Alonso, Xavi, Martinez, Carzola, Thiago
Iniesta, Silva, Mata, Isco, Fabregas

I'm sure I'm even forgetting a couple! Pity that their strike force seems to have vanished!
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Knowing them, they will probably take the lot of them to the World Cup next year and leave all the strikers at home.
 
Red Shorts said:
@FCBarca, do you reckon there will be any movement in your midfield in terms of transfers? Are Thiago or Fabregas really that likely to move?
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I really don't know. First offseason I have no idea, apart from Neymar, what is going to happen. Cesc, I'd love to see him leave while Thiago cannot, IMO.

Cesc rumours haven't been substantiated by the club or player and if you go by Tito and the minutes given out, he counts on him - unfortunately. I just found the MD cover of Thiago allegedly being on the market unheard of for the club - it cannot be accidental as MD & Sport rarely make such a bold headline without realizing the consequences if they're wrong. Of course, it could be part of some grander scheme by Rosell et al in drawing buyers into the club for the other sale items, not sure


Balu said:
Do you really think he'll play with Alonso and Xavi in midfield next year? Hard to imagine they'll be fit enough for 7 games in 4 weeks. Not sure if Thiago is the solution, he could build the midfield around Fabregas, Busquets, Martinez, Iniesta. But surely he has to change something?
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I think he likes the double pivot of Busquets & Alonso. If Torres starts regaining form and you throw in a healthy Villa, perhaps even Tello, then you have your strikers. Cesc, Xavi, Iniesta, Silva and Mata are going to eat up most of those minutes in midfield. From there, Isco, Cazorla, Thiago et al will be lucky to see mopup, if that.

Javi Martinez will be interesting to see how he's dealt with because I still sense he's on the outs with the NT - we'll see. Either way, Thiago's lack of minutes with Barcelona will only hurt his chances with La Roja. And even in one season, ahead of the WC, no way anyone breaks into Del Bosque's squad - unless there is an injury or someone has a Messi-like season
 
Graham Hunter reckons deal might be on and for around £15mill. I'd be surprised to see Barca let him go at all
 
backofthenet said:
Why the hell would Bayern want another midfielder? They've got bloody loads of excellent ones already...
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Why the hell would Bayern want anyone, when they already have the best squad in the world? And yet they're buying Gotze and, it seems, Lewandowski, and are rumoured to be chasing a number of other top players too.

Thiago is known for being Guardiola's golden boy. Top managers often take their star young talent with them when they move, especially if said talent is not getting the same chances under the new man.

Anyway, I was being tongue in cheek because he's a midfielder, I'd absolutely love us to sign him, and as a rule that means we probably won't.
 
Would love this guy, at this kind of price as well would probably give us enough to get another quality midfielder in to really strengthen.
 
Brightonian said:
Why the hell would Bayern want anyone, when they already have the best squad in the world? And yet they're buying Gotze and, it seems, Lewandowski, and are rumoured to be chasing a number of other top players too.

Thiago is known for being Guardiola's golden boy. Top managers often take their star young talent with them when they move, especially if said talent is not getting the same chances under the new man.
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I get your point and yet you have to be able to maintain squad morale and cohesiveness. Buy too many players, especially for a single position, and you undermine the players that are already there, or the younger lads on the fringes of the first team.

With the cases of Gotze and Lewandowski they will be replacing players that appear to be on the way out... Robben and Gomez. Not so the case with centre midfield where you have Schweinsteiger, Martinez, Kroos and Gustavo... all of whom appear to be settled and in the plans for next year. Why disturb that? I can't see him going to Bayern. Italy yes, other teams in the premiership potentially, but not Bayern.

Edit

Ah, apologies... missed your edit!
 
I've already said it but I'd be genuinely excited if we sign this kid. As long as there's no stupid buy back clause for Barca that is.

Thought there were rumours that City were sniffing around him though.
 
backofthenet said:
I get your point and yet you have to be able to maintain squad morale and cohesiveness. Buy too many players, especially for a single position, and you undermine the players that are already there, or the younger lads on the fringes of the first team.

With the cases of Gotze and Lewandowski they will be replacing players that appear to be on the way out... Robben and Gomez. Not so the case with centre midfield where you have Schweinsteiger, Martinez, Kroos and Gustavo... all of whom appear to be settled and in the plans for next year. Why disturb that? I can't see him going to Bayern. Italy yes, other teams in the premiership potentially, but not Bayern.
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Well, I hope you're right. It would be a terrible waste, whereas we have a gaping Thiago-shaped hole in our midfield.
 
To paraphrase a certain Newcastle manager - I would love it if we got him, love it!!
 
gza the genius said:
Where would he play for us? Is he an attacking mid or is he someone who could partner Carrick?
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Partner Carrick. He can play AM, and has done occasionally for Barca, but he's normally in the Xavi role, (playing it very differently, mind) and has always looked best there for me.
 
Not seen much of him in recent seasons, but he really stood-out for me in the U21 tournament the summer we signed De Gea. A good passer, some nice tricks and he can score goals.

For under £20 million, this would a be a steal. Do it Moyes!
 
I was under the impression that he mainly played the pivot role that the Spanish love so much... so the position of Alonso, Busquests, Martinez, Xavi in the national setup. He doesn't have the physical stature of the first three of those names, but does appear to be very talented.
 
Enigma_87 said:
He's in the Kagawa role. More probably would take Rooney's place if he comes here...
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He's really not. He's played there a couple of times, but the vast majority of his appearances have been as a central midfielder. As recently as Barca's last game (against Valladolid), he came on for Busquets. Dos Santos then came on to play Busquets' role, and Thiago played as the creative central midfielder (Xavi, basically) for the rest of the match.
 
Would be a great coup for us at a price I really didn't think was capable to get him with.
 
Brightonian said:
He's really not. He's played there a couple of times, but the vast majority of his appearances have been as a central midfielder. As recently as Barca's last game (against Valladolid), he came on for Busquets. Dos Santos then came on to play Busquets' role, and Thiago played as the creative central midfielder (Xavi, basically) for the rest of the match.
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There's no way to compare Xavi's role for Barca to Carrick's partner at United though. Thiago is a more attacking player than Xavi ever was and lacks Xavi's defensive awareness. His passing game is excellent and Barca could get away with it but somehow I doubt Moyes will change United's style to tiki-taka just to accommodate Thiago in central midfield. I'd say in almost any team in the world he'd play behind the striker or in a 433 as the most advanced central midfielder. I don't believe a midfield of Carrick, Thiago with Kagawa behind the striker could work for United.

I thought he played his best football in Guardiola's 343. You could say he was a central midfielder there but he had 3 other world class CMs playing with him and Messi dropping deep as well (and the team had more than 70% possession all the time).
 
If we sign Thiago, he will act as cover/competition for Kagawa in a sort of 4-5-1 / 4-2-3-1 system with Felliani/Fletcher and Carrick in CM and Valencia + some other winger on the flanks.
 
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