Manchester United Make £15m Move for Spanish U-21 Star - Report

Manchester United have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara, by launching an £15m offer for the Spaniard.

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old for some time now and, according to the Mirror, manager David Moyes has now put chief scout Jim Lawlor on the case, with the view of completing a deal soon.

Thiago, who is currently leading his country at the European U-21 Championship in Israel, was a target for United last summer as well. The report claims Moyes is also a long-time admirer of the playmaker, and was interested in bringing him to former club Everton but the Toffees lacked the finances resources to make an approach.

United's cross-town rivals Manchester City have also been linked to Thiago. The Spaniard, son of former Brazil star Mazinho, is understood to be frustrated at the lack of first-team opportunities at Camp Nou, despite proving himself to the coaches and senior figures at the club.

Thiago is represented by Pep Guardiola's brother Pere. The Mirror also states United have made some progress behind the scenes and hope to wrap up the deal shortly.

Meanwhile, United midfielder Shinji Kagawa has stressed that he would strive for the consistency next season and look to be an impact player, like Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.

The 24-year-old, who moved from Borussia Dortmund to Old Trafford, struggled for some part of his debut season with a knee injury but showed flashes of his quality in quite a few matches, which included a hat-trick against Norwich City.

"I wasn't satisfied with my overall performance but I played well in the second half of the season and started to get more and more confidence. In this business, you need to be like Rooney or van Persie and prove yourself if you want the ball. I want to be a player like them, which means I need results," Kagawa pointed out.