Spanish radio station claims Real Madrid has a deal with Thiago

Per a post from Football Espana, Spanish radio station Onda Cero is reporting Real Madrid has reached a deal to bring in Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara pending approval from Die Roten.

Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara, according to Onda Cero. The radio station claims the former Barcelona player is the preferred option of Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui to replace Mateo Kovacic, who has joined Chelsea on a season-long loan.

Thiago is well known to Lopetegui, having played under him for the Spanish national team, and Onda Cero has it that an agreement has been reached with the player and now it just needs Bayern to rubber-stamp it. The 27-year-old is understood to be keen on a move back to Spain, where he came through Barca’s famed La Masia academy as a youngster before progressing to the first team, and is eager for a new challenge in La Liga. Thiago has a contract with the Bavarians until June 2021, having joined them from Barca in 2013, and would cost around €50M.

If the ball truly is in Bayern’s court, the German giant will likely seek to maximize a transfer fee on Thiago. The €50M referenced above is certainly less than the €70M that Bayern was allegedly seeking just a few weeks ago.

BFW Analysis

With reports circulating that Bayern is open to a sale and others indicating that Thiago favors a move back to Spain, it is starting to look and feel as if there could be some validity to these rumors. As Bayern attempts to cull the herd of midfielders on its roster, time is running out to do so and Thiago’s willingness to leave may assist Bayern with its roster reduction.

Certainly the majority of fans would be disappointed with such a move, but if Thiago truly wants to leave and Bayern can maximize a return on his value, the Spaniard could find his way over to Real Madrid in the coming days in a move that would serve the player and the club.

Until an official statement is provided by Bayern or Real Madrid, speculation will only further ramp up.