Senior Barcelona Players Request Club to Sign Out of Favour Bayern Midfielder as Iniesta Replacement

Senior Barcelona players have reportedly requested that the club re-sign Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara this summer, as a replacement for Andres Iniesta. The Spaniard moved to Germany back in 2013 with Pep Guardiola, and has since gone on to win five Bundesliga titles with the club.

Thiago is said to be available this summer, as part of a summer clearout alongside the likes of Juan Bernat, Arturo Vidal and Jerome Boateng. 

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This would undoubtedly make the 27-year-old easier to sign, especially considering Thiago's affiliation with the club, coming up through the ranks of La Masia.

According to Spanish outlet Sport, a host of senior players at Barca have asked president Josep Maria Bartomeu to sign their former teammate and use him as a replacement for Andres Iniesta.

Initially, Philippe Coutinho was intended to be the man to fill the hole in the middle of the pitch, but the team would rather he played in a more attacking role alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

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This would, in turn, cause even less game time for Ousmane Dembele, who is believed to be angling for a move away from Camp Nou this summer. 

The likes of PSG and Dortmund are keen to sign the player, and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is even going to the lengths of speaking to Dembele's mother about taking him to Anfield, according to Mundo Deportivo.

There is also the anticiapted arrival of Antoine Griezmann that adds more attacking prowess to Las Blaugrana. With Luis Suarez soon to turn 32, the Frenchman could the ideal man to replace the Uruguayan.