The Spaniard announced his determination to take the Barcelona youngster to Bavaria on Thursday but his comments could alienate his side’s current stars
COMMENT
By Enis Koylu
It seemed like a perfect move. Pep Guardiola arrived at Bayern Munich with the Bavarians having come off the back of a brilliant treble-winning season with Mario Gotze, one of the finest prospects in world football, gift-wrapped and waiting for him.
But that wasn’t enough. With the team in Trentino for their pre-season training camp, he openly declared his interest in bringing Thiago Alcantara, one of his old charges at Barcelona, to the Allianz Arena.
On the face of it, a potential move for the Spain international makes sense. The 22-year-old played under Pep for a total of five years for both the Blaugrana‘s reserves and their full team and is well-versed in the slick passing style which saw them dominate European football for years.
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Tito Vilanova wants to keep Thiago Alcantara at Camp Nou but cannot offer him any assurances of a regular starting spot next season. The player is eager to boost his chances of featuring in the 2014 World Cup with Spain, which is his main motivation for a move to a team where he can play regularly and impress Vicente del Bosque.
While Manchester United have been courting him, the exact nature of their interest is unknown and Thiago would certainly feel more comfortable at Bayern with Pep Guardiola due to their history together. What’s more, Pep’s new 4-1-4-1 system could guarantee him a starting berth. – Pilar Suarez | Barcelona Correspondent |
However, it is fraught with problems. Bayern’s midfield – as they demonstrated by bullying and pressing opposition into submission throughout last season – is already perfect and does not need to be disturbed.
In Javi Martinez, they have stability, in Bastian Schweinsteiger calm and in Toni Kroos class. Thiago, while a good player and an €18 million bargain, brings nothing new to the table.
More worryingly, it sends a negative message to Bayern’s current stars. Prior to his season-ending injury in April, Kroos had established himself as one of his team’s finest players, scoring a personal-record goal tally and finally cementing a place in the starting XI behind Mario Mandzukic.
Equally, it seems oddly dismissive of Gotze. The 21-year-old’s €37m transfer made him the most expensive German player of all time and, despite being one of the brightest stars in the Bundesliga last term, Guardiola seemed to play down the significance of his signing. “Gotze is a superb player, but I need Thiago,” he claimed – hardly an endorsement of the player.
His preference for a player who, for all intents and purposes, has achieved nothing and failed to live up to his potential over two established internationals who worked miracles across the course of last season is baffling.
Then there is the wider issue of where Thiago would fit in at Bayern. Guardiola was quick to laud his ability to play anywhere across midfield. Dropping Kroos would be an act of folly, Schweinsteiger is a club icon in the prime of his career and Martinez’s addition made the difference in their pursuit of a treble.
Guardiola even mentioned the possibility of playing his fellow Spaniard in defence to accomodate Thiago. While playing without a recognised defensive midfielder would not sting them against the Augsburgs of this world, the likes of Borussia Dortmund and the rest of Europe’s elite would be able to expose them on the break with such a set-up.
The signing of another midfielder would also upset the balance of the squad players. Luiz Gustavo, while not glamorous, is as good a back-up for the position as anyone in the game and falling further behind in the pecking order could force the Brazilian to look elsewhere.
Meanwhile, in the form of Emre Can and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Bayern have two of the best young midfielders in German football waiting in the wings. The former, 19, has already voiced his frustration with his lack of opportunities, hinting that he would leave if the situation did not get better.
For a club who purport to take care of their own, this would be shockingly unfair treatment for two youngsters who have done nothing to deserve it.
At his official unveiling as Bayern coach at the end of June, Guardiola pledged to adapt to the side, rather than making Bayern adapt to him. However, in his brash bid to land Thiago, he looks set to take a colossal risk which could upset the balance at his new club.
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