Man U loses race for Thiago Alcantara to Bayern Munich

London: Premier League Champions Manchester United have lost the race to acquire Barcelona player Thiago Alcantara, as reports suggest that Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich have signed the Spanish U-21 midfielder.

Alcantara has been at the centre of an ongoing transfer saga, and was heavily linked with a move to United, who were prepared to trigger his 17 million pounds buyout clause. However, the report said that new Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola, who managed Alcantara when he was at the Camp Nou, was keen to reunite with the 22-year-old. Bayern agreed a 17 million pounds deal for Alcantara, who was influential for the Spain Under-21s as they lifted the European Championships this summer, the report added. ANI