Thiago Alcantara Would Be Wise to Leave Barcelona for Manchester United

The seemingly-never-ending saga of Thiago Alcantara's potential departure from Barcelona to join Manchester United is warranted, as the Spaniard will benefit from making the move to England.

On Monday, according to Geoff Sweet of The Sun, the latest news surrounding Thiago's future is promising for the Red Devils, as he inches closer to joining the reigning Premier League champions:

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Sources close to the Spanish Under-21 midfielder say a five-year deal worth an initial £17.5 million is ‘well advanced’ and that “only little details remain to close the operation”.

A few days ago Thiago was included in a new picture modelling the new Barca home and away kits. But last night he’d been quietly cropped from the shot suggesting his days in La Liga are over.

And his father Mazinho, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 1994, has put his Barcelonian restaurant ‘Campechano’ on the market, ahead of an imminent move to England.

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Monday's telling news comes just after continued reports suggesting Thiago's EPL move, like this one from Jamie Jackson of The Observer that states he's still likely to join United despite playing-time assurances from Barcelona.

So much of the talk surrounding this potential move has hinged on what is best for the clubs. But it's time to finally figure out where the Spaniard would be best set to have the most success possible, and that is nowhere other than England.

For a young, up-and-coming star footballer, nothing is more important than playing time; nothing will stunt a player's growth more than keeping him on the bench for the bulk of big moments.

At 22 years old, Thiago has already proven he's worthy of first-team football on even the best clubs in the world. He captained Spain's U-21 Euro squad and led them to the championship, on what was a star-studded team with many egos to keep in check.

His leadership is beyond his years, and this trait won't be able to fully flourish in Barcelona until the ends of Xavi's and Andres Iniesta's respective careers. That is without mentioning Cesc Fabregas, who is just entering his prime.

Most likely, he'll be an afterthought in Barcelona for the near future. At best, he'll be a role player. 

Meanwhile, United is looking for their future midfielder and Thiago is a perfect fit. A passing aficionado, his skills don't resemble the possession-happy Catalans nearly like they do Manchester's dangerous attack.

Thiago excels at pushing the ball through tight spots and working creative attacking runs with his teammates. While that could work at Barcelona, it'd be a perfect fit with United. 

Perhaps most importantly, staying on with Barcelona wouldn't give him much of a chance to make Spain's roster for next summer's World Cup. Once again, the defending world champions are stacked, and just getting on the roster will be a task.

If Thiago can make a seamless transition to Old Trafford and quickly become a starter for the Premier League's title-holders, it will make a big statement as to why he should be featured on Spain's World Cup squad.