Bayern Munich are expecting a bid from Manchester United for Thiago to arrive imminently, according to reports from Germany.
The Spanish star has informed the club that he does not want to sign a new contract and that he is seeking a new challenge elsewhere, forcing them to try to sell him in this window rather than allow him to leave on a free transfer next summer.
BBC and ESPN journalist Constantin Eckner claims that the German side fully expect the 29-year-old to move to the Premier League but that it is United, not Liverpool, who are leading the chase to sign him.
Eckner tweeted yesterday ‘Manchester United are interested in Thiago’s services. Bayern expect to receive an offer from them. Liverpool remain interested in him, but they think the signing would be too expensive.’
The reporter previously suggested that he expects the deal to go down to the wire. He tweeted Bayern’s former-president Uni Hoeness’s comments that both Liverpool and United were waiting until the end of the transfer window in order to attempt to low-ball the German champions, who value Thiago at ‘in excess of €30 million [£27.7m]’, according to 90min.com.
Eckner’s information is likely to have come from Bayern Munich’s side, as they remain keen to offload the unsettled player, but have seen the competition for his services wane in the last few days. They could therefore be using United’s name to put pressure on their rivals to make an offer.
Liverpool were reportedly looking to sign Thiago to replace Gini Wijnaldum, who appeared to be heading for Barcelona. However, the Dutchman has now reportedly changed his mind about leaving Anfield, rendering Jurgen Klopp’s move for the Spanish star somewhat unnecessary.
However, it could also be argued that it is unnecessary too for United, who recently added Ajax’s Donny van de Beek to their central midfield roster, which already boasts Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay.
On the other hand, despite central midfield not being the top priority for the Red Devils, Thiago is a world-class, versatile midfielder who could fill any role and the £27 million price point would make him an excellent addition to the squad.
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