Barca are loath to lose their young midfield maestro, who underlined his quality by scoring a first-half hat-trick in Spain’s 4-1 win over Italy in the European Under-21 Championship Final earlier this week.
– VIDEO: Thiago treble fires Spain U21s to Euro glory
However, they are effectively powerless to prevent him leaving the Camp Nou should clubs meet his £17m release clause which was activated after he failed to make enough first-team appearances last season. The option, however, is only valid until August 1.
A message, presumably written by team-mate and United star David De Gea on Thiago’s match ball after his Euro Under-21 final showing, read ‘see you in Manchester’ in Spanish, hinting that a Old Trafford deal was close.
Reports clain the player’s father and former Brazil international, Mazinho, has held talks with United officials to iron out personal terms and is happy that the Premier League champions are the right club for his son to continue his footballing education.
Moyes has made strengthening United’s midfield a top priority this summer with the club linked with a host of names, including Thiago’s Barca team-mate Cesc Fabregas and PSV Eindhoven’s Kevin Strootman.
However, Thiago, who Moyes followed closely during his time in charge at Everton, has emerged as the Scot’s No1 target and is seen by many as a natural successor to Paul Scholes who retired at the end of last season.
Thiago’s vision, passing ability and propensity to find the net on a regular basis from midfield were all hallmark’s of Scholes’ time at Old Trafford.
The similarities between the two were not lost on United star Rio Ferdinand who was among those to praise Thiago after his destruction of Italy in midweek. “Spain U21s were too much,” Ferdinand wrote on Twitter. “Thiago wants the ball under pressure, he demands it anywhere.”
After failing to hold down a regular spot in Barca’s star-studded side, Thiago is acutely aware he needs to be playing football if he is to force his way into Vicente Del Bosque’s Spain plans ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals.
* For breaking news, follow us on @Sport_360 or find us on Facebook.
