Manchester United on the verge of signing Thiago

Manchester United are believed to have stolen a march on their cross-town rivals by agreeing a £17million deal for Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona.

22-year-old Spaniard, who wowed both the fans and the pundits with his marvelous performance in European U-21 Championship Final, is believed to have agreed contract with the Red Devils worth £5m-a-year.

The negotiations with Barcelona are ongoing and the official confirmation is expected to be made not sooner than on Monday.

Thiago is touted as a rising star by the pundits and he showed his potential by scoring an excellent hat trick in his side’s 4-2 over Italy in U-21 Euro final to help his side win 4-2 and lift the trophy. However he is believed to be disappointed with lack of first-team football at Camp Nou and set his sights on leaving Barca this summer.