text: It's probable that Thiago Alcantara would never have signed for Manchester United even if David Moyes had wanted him. Once Pep Guardiola had made it clear he required the midfelder at Bayern Munich, it was pointless for United to continue their pursuit anyway, . But the fact that Moyes wasn't keen on the transfer - 'not his type' said a club source - was probably an early indication that he wasn't the right fit for United. Not that Moyes is a bad judge of a player; all managers get it wrong at some point. However, United's need for passing quality from deep midfield was apparent throughout Moyes' short time at the club. Indeed, it has continued to be a problem until Michael Carrick fully recovered from injury and Ander Herrera began to find his feet. The kind of passing display Thiago delivered in Bayern's 6-1 win over Porto on Wednesday has been precisely what United have been missing. Thiago (right) heads in Bayern Munich's first goal during their 6-1 win over Porto on Tuesday night . Thiago blows a kiss to the crowd as he celebrates his goal which started Bayern's remarkable comeback . Thiago is congratulated on his strike by Pep Guardiola, the man who took him from Barcelona to Bayern . Without quality in that area, few teams can compete at the elite level any more. It used to be the case that a requirement of playing holding midfield was height, strength and an ability to tackle. Given that most distribution emanates from deep, being among the best passers of the ball in that position is infinitely more important now. Moyes might quite reasonably been worried that Thiago was on the slight side to thrive in the rough and tumble of the Premier League. And his troubles with repeated knee ligaments injuries until his comeback this year add some weight to that theory - he was much missed by Spain at the World Cup after pulling out with a knee injury. But there are few players in the world who can pass like Thiago. Gary Neville has spoken about how Paul Scholes was once among that small group of players who could dictate a game simply with the tempo and the accuracy of their passing. Andrea Pirlo and Xavi are two more from Scholes' generation. Thiago is now elevating himself to their level. One experienced German journalist who has been watching Bayern for 35 years commented last night: 'Thiago might well be the most technically-gifted central midfielder who has ever played for Bayern.' Thiago dictated the pace of the game from deep for Bayern Munich as they crushed Porto . Thiago started his career at Barcelona but was overlooked for Cesc Fabregas (right) by boss Tito Vilanova . And no-one has invested more in Thiago than Guardiola, which is why United had no realistic chance of signing him once his offer had been made. It was Pep who promoted him to the first team at Barcelona in 2009 and made him an integral part of the squad. But when Pep left, his successor, the late Tito Vilanova, wanted Cesc Fabregas to play that role. Thiago was sidelined, hence his availability in the summer of 2013. He is very much a global footballer for the 21st century. His dad, of course, is Brazilian, the World Cup winner Mazinho; Thiago was born in Italy and raised in Spain. He opted to play for the country in which he was living, rather than that of his forefathers or his birth, and was outstanding for Spain in the European Under 21 championships in 2013, scoring a hat-trick in the final against Italy in a 4-2 win. At Barcelona they are said not to be disturbed by the rise of Thiago. Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets have that position covered. But Xavi is off to Qatar and Cesc is at Chelsea. Should Barca end up against Bayern in the Champions League semi finals, they may yet rue the day they deemed him surplus to requirements. David Moyes believed Thiago may not be able to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League .
target: Thiago Alcantara scored Bayern Munich's first goal in 6-1 win over Porto .
  Spanish midfielder dictated the game with precise passing from deep .
  One commentator said: 'Thiago might well be the most technically-gifted central midfielder who has ever played for Bayern.
  Thiago followed Pep Guardiola from Barcelona to Bayern Munich .
  Manchester United made an ultimately fruitless effort to sign the midfielder .