Manchester United missed a great chance of upgrading their lineup following reports that Barcelona young midfielder Thiago Alcantara is now leaning towards signing with German powerhouse Bayern Munich, a source close to situation reported on Thursday.

The Red Devils reportedly tried hard to pursue the highly explosive Alcantara since the start of the transfer period, but both parties failed to come up with an agreement.

As a result, treble winner Bayern Munich took the chance to steal Alcantara from Manchester United, and apparently, was successful in their pitch with a press conference to introduce Alcantara as part of the team scheduled on Friday, according to Spanish media outlet Marca.

Alcantara is one of the most coveted young stars in professional football, possessing the speed and craftiness despite his young age of 22.

At the 2013 Under-21 World Championship, Alcantara bagged the MVP honor after leading Spain to victory over Italy 4-2.