Thiago opts for Bayern

Manchester United’s transfer ambitions suffered a significant setback last night after Barcelona and Bayern Munich reached a deal for the transfer of Thiago Alcantara.

The highly-rated midfielder was one of David Moyes’ top transfer targets but last night Barcelona revealed they had accepted a bid from the European champions for the 22-year-old.

A short statement from the Primera Division side said a fee of €25 million had been agreed for a player, who starred in Spain’s recent European U21 Championship success, scoring a hat-trick in the final against Italy.