Barcelona were keen on getting Thiago Alcantara back from Bayern Munich, but they may have just been shut down, at least according to SER Catalunya.

According to their show La Graderia, Barcelona has gotten in touch with Thiago, but the player has informed them he doesn’t want to return and in fact, is poised to renew with Bayern.

Thiago’s contract runs out in 2019, but if it were extended, the chances of a return would drop considerably.

Thiago’s situation was fumbled by Barcelona in 2013, as they did not play him often enough to prevent a clause in his contract from being activated which temporarily lowered his buyout fee.

Bayern pounced, and the rest is history.

Some still wonder if there is a chance at a return given his brother, Rafinha Alcantara, still, plays at the Camp Nou. Until there is formal news about a renewal, fans will hope.

Of course, Bayern aren’t likely to be very interested in allowing him a romantic return to Spain. He’s been one of their best players this season. Replacing him would be a difficult, and expensive task for Ancelotti and the club’s higher-ups.

The fact that Barca continue to cry poor in terms of their transfer dealings certainly won’t help matters. Club officials swear they need to sell players before they can make a big time purchase. Their finances perhaps will limit them to one big-name midfield purchase this summer.

That means it could easily come down to a choice between Verratti, another potential summer target, and Thiago. Both players would certainly upgrade the club’s midfield, so it might come down to a matter of price.

The market for Verratti seems set at somewhere around £70 million. Thiago would likely be a cheaper purchase, but the savings might not be as significant as you might think. Bayern could easily hold out for a transfer sum nearing £60 million.