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Manchester United on alert for Spain U-21 star Thiago Alcantara who wants Barcelona exit
MANCHESTER UNITED appear to be frontrunners for Spanish starlet Thiago Alcantara after he told Barcelona he wishes to leave.
The 22-year-old originally had a staggering £77m release clause inserted into his contract, but this has plummeted to £15.4m after he failed to feature in at least 60% of Barca's games last season.
Alcantara, who has struggled to force himself into a team boasting the likes of Andres Iniesta and Xavi, is desperate for first-team football.
We also reported last week that ex-Barca boss Pep Guardiola, is hoping he can take him to the Allianz Arena.
A report in Spanish paper Sport ascertains Alcantara had a frank discussion with Tito Vilanova about his future but wasn't convinced about staying at the Camp Nou.
Furthermore, they note that Alcantara wants to push for a place in the World Cup next year with Spain and feels a move would help him achieve that.
United manager David Moyes has also been tracking Alcantara's team-mate Cesc Fabregas, although Barca are yet to receive any offers for him.
Thiago netted twice in La Liga for the Catalan giants.