United Agrees to Deal with Barcelona Midfielder Thiago.

As earlier reported, Spanish U-21 midfielder Thiago Alcantra is on the verge of becoming a Manchester United player in a deal now said to worth £17m.
Thiago Alcantra.

Thiago Alcantra.

Daily Mail reports that United have agreed personal terms of £5m-a-year with 22-year-old Barcelona midfield star Thiago Alcantra and his father Mazinho.

The Premier League champion have stolen a march on rivals Manchester City and Napoli and all that’s left is for the two clubs to formalise a deal, which might span over the weekend into next week.
Fresh from winning the European U-21 championship, Thiago is seen as one of the rising stars of Spanish football and was instrumental to El Roja’s triumph over Italy earlier this week, scoring a hat- trick.

The player, who was recommended to United by the club’s chief scout Martin Ferguson three years ago and has long been in David Moyes’ books since his time at Everton, has been touted as a possible long-term replacement for retired Paul Scholes.

Pricing him away from Barcelona where he has come through the youth system since the age of 14 has been difficult, but with his growing frustration over lack of first team appearances at the Nou Camp and the agreement of a £5m-a-year wage a deal is likely to be agreed soon.