Jim Thwaites: Manchester United's Very Own Thiago Alcântara

Back in the summer of 2013, it was widely reported that Thiago Alcântara came incredibly close to joining Manchester United from Barcelona for a fee in the region of €20 million. David de Gea was particularly public and vocal about his desire for his fellow countryman to join the Red Devils, but the move didn’t materialise.

Depending on who you ask, either Thiago didn’t want to join Manchester United in the end or, according to the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Guillem Balagué, new United manager David Moyes rejected the opportunity to acquire the Spaniard, instead signing his former Everton star Marouane Fellaini.

Thiago would end up joining Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich and the rest is history. This has been the story of Manchester United for over a decade, resulting in countless transfer mistakes. However, their flourishing academy prospects provide genuine hope, and perhaps none more so than a boy in the mould of one Thiago Alcântara himself: Jim Thwaites.

At just 17 years old, Thwaites has already participated in first team training on a number of occasions. Evidently, many figures within the club believe that the teenager possesses a very bright future and it’s easy to see why. He’s a key player for United’s U18 side, whilst also having appeared for the U21 team despite his young age and slender frame.