Man Utd Transfers: 5 Midfield Alternatives For Cesc Fabregas

by Joseph Dempsey

announced he's not going anywhere.

"If Barcelona said that they didn't want me, that would be another thing - but what I truly want is to triumph at Barcelona. That's been my dream since I was a kid."
Fabregas left Arsenal after eight years at the club in 2011 to join his boyhood love Barca, where he started out as a youth player in 1997. He has since been linked with a move back to the Premier League just two years after quitting for Spain but he remarked pointedly:
"The way in which some people always invent things is fascinating."
Those comments will come as crushing blows to both Arsenal and Man United, the former of whom have first refusal should the Spanish champions ever sell and the latter of whom are searching for a replacement for Paul Scholes. And they will each have to look elsewhere now that the midfielder has apparently ruled himself out of a move away. Here, we examine United's current problems in the middle of the park and run the rule over 5 Midfield Alternatives For Cesc Fabregas. Click "Next" to begin.

5. Thiago Alcântara

ThiagoAlcantara The Spain U-21 captain is back on manager David Moyes' radar for a second time after he first made attempts to sign the starlet during his Everton days. And if the Scotsman fails to land one Barcelona star in Cesc Fabregas, he may turn to another with reports claiming a £15 million bid is being lined up. Moyes found that he lacked the finances to fund a move for the young Spaniard while at Goodison Park but now that he is managing a club with much grander financial muscles, he may find he has a better chance of landing the 22-year old on the second time of asking. Alcantara is a much younger version of Fabregas and is also a cheaper option. What's more, he'd also have a massive resale value, unlike the 26-year old. Both he and Fabregas are competing for the same spot in the Barca team and if the latter does indeed stay put, options may become limited for the youngster, who may then seek a move away, seemingly playing right into United's hands.

Contributor
Contributor

Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.