€18m Starlet Will Consider United or Bayern If Barca Exit Beckons - Report

Thiago Alcantara will consider the options of joining either Manchester United or Bayern Munich if he leaves Barcelona this summer, reports suggest.

The 22-year-old's future at the Nou Camp has come under scrutiny in the past month after it emerged that his release clause has dropped to just €18m after he failed to feature in 60% of Barcelona's league games last campaign.

Alcantara is currently away with Spain's under-21 side at the European Championships and has thus far remained silent on his future. But given the midfielder's situation at the Nou Camp, Europe's elite have begun to circle, with El Mundo Deportivo suggesting Premier League champions United and Champions League winners Bayern are his two stand out options should he choose to part ways with the Catalan giants.

Pep Guardiola's arrival at the Allianz Arena could tempt Alcantara to move to new pastures. The former Barcelona manager gave the young midfielder his first team debut back in 2009, and the prospect of playing for the champions of Europe could prove to be a tantalising one worth leaving Barcelona for.

United meanwhile were initially linked with the 22-year-old two years ago, but his original release clause of €90m fended off any real efforts to sign him. The activation of a lower release clause in his deal has rekindled that interest, with David Moyes reportedly keen to make the midfielder his second signing after the arrival of Uruguayan defender Guillermo Varela.

Staying at Barcelona remains an option for Alcantara however. The Spaniard is expected to announce his decision once the Under-21 European Championships end, but the La Liga champions have already prepared a contingency plan, El Mundo add.

Sergi Roberto, another talented midfielder to emerge from the revered La Masia academy, is primed to step in should Alcantara depart, having shone for Barcelona B in past seasons. The 21-year-old's emergence in the first team ranks could soften the blow of Alcantara's departure.

Tito Vilanova's side remain desperate to hold onto the Brazilian-born midfielder, but the mishandled issue of the player's release clause means the decision is now out of their hands. With the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas occupying midfield roles at Barca, Alcantara may feel his best opportunities lie away from Cataluña.

Alcantara has been ever-present in Spain U21's midfield during the competition in Israel, providing a show that will have clubs increasingly desperate to secure his signature.