Thiago: I’m a huge fan of Pep’s style

Thiago Alcantara has revealed that the chance to work with Pep Guardiola again was one of his main reasons he joined Bayern Munich. The 22-year-old completed his transfer by signing a four-year deal on Monday. Bayern paid Barcelona an initial fee of €20m for the attacking midfielder, with an extra €5m to come from a future friendly between the clubs. Thiago, the son of Brazil's 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™-winning midfielder Mazinho, was given his Barça debut by Guardiola, who won 14 titles in four years at Camp Nou. "There aren't many coaches in the world with his ability," said Thiago of the 42-year-old. "He was definitely one of the important reasons for me making the move to Munich. "There's also the history of the club, which has been one of the best in the world for many years. On top of that, this team plays very attractive football. And I believe the arrival of Pep Guardiola will provide an additional boost. There aren't many coaches in the world with his ability. Thiago Alcantara on Pep Guardiola "We've known each other for a long time and he's a coach who has placed great faith in me. I'm a huge fan of the way he likes football to be played." Formation change, fight for places The Spaniard has the chance to face his former club in the next week: Bayern host Barcelona at the Allianz Arena on 24 July in a pre-season friendly. Thiago is Bayern's second key addition to their midfield after Germany international Mario Gotze's arrival from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund. It means Guardiola faces some tough choices. Having changed Bayern's system from the 4-2-3-1 formation when they won the treble of European, league and cup titles last season, Guardiola has introduced a 4-1-4-1 pattern. Thiago will be competing with Gotze, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Xherdan Shaqiri for places in the Bayern team. Thiago caught the eye as he captained Spain to glory at last month's UEFA European U-21 Championship in Israel, when he scored a first-half hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Italy in the final. From: FiFa