Why Thiago Alcantara Is the Midfielder Manchester City Need

January is typically a quiet transfer window for Manchester City. They pride themselves on conducting organised, efficient transfer business, and the summer is a far better time to secure value for money in the market.

Last year, they signed Wilfried Bony because Manuel Pellegrini felt he had left himself short after Alvaro Negredo left for Valencia the previous summer. It’s the only January deal they had done since 2010, and many would argue it’s a deal that hasn’t worked out.

All of Txiki Begiristain’s planning and preparation is geared toward summer deals. He seemingly likes to sign players early in the window to give the manager as much time as possible to shape his squad ready for the start of the Premier League season. Signing a player in January, to him, is probably a sign his work wasn’t comprehensive enough before the season began.

This summer will perhaps be the most frenzied in City's recent history. With the news Pep Guardiola will be replacing Pellegrini in June, City are likely to be active. The former Barcelona manager, the most coveted coach in world football, would only have agreed to join City if he knew resources were available for him to shape the squad in his image.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

Guardiola is the finest exponent of high-intensity, possession-based football. Transferring that philosophy is perhaps his biggest challenge. The players will respect him—his reputation will ensure that—but how quickly they can adopt his tactics and deliver the kind of football he wants remains to be seen.

He is likely, therefore, to want players he knows fit his system, perhaps even players he's worked with before. Midfield, in Guardiola's eyes, is key.

“I love the midfield players,” the Bayern Munich manager has previously said, according to James Robson at the Manchester Evening News. “I would like to have a thousand midfield players in my squad, in my team because I believe the midfield players are intelligent and understand the game.

“They understand back and they understand forward. You can win the games with good defenders and good strikers, but to play good, you need midfield players.”

Clearly, there'll be an overhaul of City's midfield options this summer, and Thiago Alcantara is arguably the definitive Guardiola midfielder. He always wants the ball, uses it intelligently and keeps teams well-oiled. Guardiola, surely, will want him to join his City revolution.

VI-Images/Getty Images

City have some outstanding forwards. Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero are players Guardiola will enjoy working with. But their midfield is perhaps lacking the same kind of dynamism and movement he's used to.

Fernando has his uses and is the most defensive midfield option on City's books, but his lack of mobility and technical quality means he is likely to struggle under Guardiola's tutelage.

And Yaya Toure, at 32, is on the decline physically and plays his best football when rested. Three games in eight days is no longer an option for the Ivorian.

According to Gerard Brand at Sky Sports, Toure's agent, Dimitri Seluk, has once again said openly his client is likely to leave the club in the summer.

"I think Yaya will leave the club," Seluk said. "But before leaving I hope he will win again the league and all the cups.

"It's not a question of whether Pep likes him or not. It's life, you know. Pep can call Yaya and speak to him to let him know 'I'm with you' or 'I am not with you.'"

That leaves just Fernandinho, City's most consistent player this season and a brilliant box-to-box midfielder, and Fabian Delph, who has adapted to life at City superbly. There's nowhere near enough in terms of numbers or quality to fulfil Guardiola's desire for quick, technically gifted players in the centre of the pitch.

Thiago moves so smoothly, evading opposition players effortlessly. Stopping him often appears an impossibility given his ability to find areas on the pitch where can do damage. His pass-completion rate is always incredibly high. He moves the ball quickly and effectively. He is tactically astute and well-versed in Guardiola's style.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

But Guardiola isn't without criticism. Speaking after Bayern's 5-1 win over Arsenal in November, a game in which Thiago was outstanding in the eyes of most observers, his manager said, per the Guardian's David Hytner:

"

In important matches, there are players who might be afraid but Thiago is extraordinary in such matches. He was injured over the last two years and now, he is really fit. But he needs to understand that with his skills, he has the possibility to be an even better player. There are times when he loses the ball without being pressured so he has to work on that. He has to interpret his game so that his passes can cause danger.

"

For Guardiola to have an instant effect at City, he needs players who embody his approach to the game. Thiago is perhaps the clearest example of that.

Would one other single signing help Guardiola transfer his style from Munich to Manchester quickly? It's doubtful.

There's a reason why the jewel in Barcelona's youth system was Guardiola's first signing as Bayern manager. He sees in Thiago a player who understands and appreciates the game, one who can keep possession in tight spaces and has the vision to find team-mates at will. He's the archetypal Guardiola midfield player.

City would be instantly improved with him in the squad. His injury record is a concern, but there is little doubt he is one of the most effective players in his position.

Guardiola will oversee an overhaul at City this summer, none more so than in midfield, which he sees as the crucial area of the pitch—the place where games are won or lost.

It's going to be exciting, and if he can sign a player of Thiago's quality, it won't be long before Guardiola and his four-man coaching team begin to see their style of play expressed in Manchester. 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.