What’s the story?
Real Madrid are planning a surprise move for Thiago Alcantara according to reports in Don Balon. The Spaniard has been linked with a return to La Liga this summer and Madrid looks like his destination.
Florentino Perez is reportedly not happy with the rumours of Barcelona trying to lure to Isco and is trying to work on a 'revenge.' The Catalan giants are also keen on signing back Thiago, and now Madrid want to make sure that doesn't happen.
In case you didn’t know...
Thiago is a La Masia product who played for Barcelona from 2009 to 2013. He made his debut for the first team when he came on as a substitute for Eiður Guðjohnsen in the 74th minute at RCD Mallorca for his only appearance of the season.
He was 18 years old when he made his debut. He then went on to play for four more years at the club before moving to Bayern Munich. He made the switch as he was not getting enough chances at the club and now at the German champions, he has become a vital part of the team.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona were keen on signing him back this summer and were reportedly set to make a €40 million bid for the midfielder. But, the Bayern Munich player rejected the move straight away. He has made it clear that he does not wish to return to Camp Nou anytime soon.
Real Madrid are now trying to take advantage of this situation and get him to Bernabeu. When he had left Barcelona, he had made it clear that he would have no regrets in moving to Madrid if he gets the chance.
"Can I say that I would never sign for Madrid? You can never say never because despite the great rivalry with Barcelona it is only football. And Real Madrid are a great club; it is as simple as that." said the Spaniard when he joined Bayern.
This is not the first time Real Madrid are trying to sign him. The midfielder revealed himself that Madrid tried to sign him when he was 15 years old, but Barcelona assured him that they saw him break into the first team soon and made him stay at the club.
What’s next?
Bayern Munich will try o hold on to the player as he is just 25 years old. But more importantly, he is a vital part of the first team, and with Xabi Alonso retiring, they need him more than ever. Real Madrid though, would try all they can to sign him in the summer. Luka Modric is in his 30s, and they are trying to sign a long-term replacement for him.
Author’s Take
It would be interesting to see if Thiago actually joins Real Madrid in the summer. The Barcelona fans still respect him, but a move to Madrid would spoil it all.
