Dani Alves won’t return to Barcelona; 3 clubs he could join
By Kris Whelan
Barcelona’s Dani Alves seems set to be leaving this summer, we take a look at where he could go.
It’s been a long and drawn out transfer saga that seems set to continue until at least the summer, but there has been some strong words from the Dani Alves’ agent recently. It seems all but certain that the Barcelona full back will indeed be leaving the club this summer, which begs the question: Where he will go?
Alves joined Barcelona in 2008 from fellow Spanish side Sevilla, and since then he accumulated over 300 appearances and 16 trophies for the Spanish giants. He is a fan favorite along with being a nightmare to play against, this is one of the reasons that Barcelona apparently offered him a new contract.
Alves’ agent claims that Barcelona offered him a one year contract that could expand to three years if the Brazilian plays in over 60% of their games. He had this to say on the issue-
"“He would accept three years, but the condition that a player plays 60 percent of the games every year for me is not a three-year deal, but a one year. Dani has a concrete offer on the table for a three-year deal plus the option for an extra year with a better wage than he has here and a signing on fee.”"
Looks like Alves has one foot out the door already. There are reportedly only three clubs in with a realistic chance of claiming the Brazilian’s signature, and here they are:
Liverpool
Liverpool are looking to offload Glen Johnson, something that’s music to the ears of their fans. The attacking full back from England is seen as a liability defensively, which is obviously something you don’t want in a defender. The Englishman himself has stated that he want’s to go somewhere he is wanted.
Glen obviously got my angry letters about his shocking defending.
On a serious note, Johnson does appear to be leaving Liverpool this summer which would leave a vacancy for Alves. In saying that however, it’s unlikely that Liverpool will be willing to meet the wage demand of the player considering he’s not getting any younger. The only thing that’s going the Brazilian’s way in that scenario is that Steven Gerrard will be off the wage bill come May, so that frees up over £200,000 to throw at him.
Likelihood of Alves to Liverpool: 2/5
Manchester United
This one seems a little more likely considering the fact Manchester United have a policy of late to throw money at big named players. Di Maria and Falcao are on incredible weekly wages, which is evidence that United aren’t shy on spending money on players they believe will strengthen their team.
Falcao even got sent down to pay with the under-21 teams.
The only thing going against this transfer however is Manchester United’s reported interest in Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne, who is younger, cheaper and English. It would benefit Manchester United in terms of home grown players. Clyne would come with a transfer fee however, but I feel as though the English full back would be the more realistic and the wiser choice of the two.
Likelihood of Alves to Manchester United: 3/5
Paris Saint Germain
This is the most realistic one for me as the French side also have a habit of paying incredible wages for quality players, and in some cases not so quality players. Alves’ agent said that he has a concrete 3 year offer, which is heavily assumed in the media to be from the French club.
From Alves’ perspective, it would be the ideal place for his final years in the game. They are the giants of French football, winning the league more often that not. As a result he could get another League winners’ medal under his belt and be guaranteed Champions League football each year. Not to mention the massive wages he would be on at the French side.
There really aren’t a lot of things going against the Brazilian going to Paris, so that’s why PSG are my favorites to capture his signature.
"I’m guessing the rumors about Dani Alves coming to PSG might be true — Matuidi 14 (@PeruvianGringo) April 9, 2015"
Likelihood of Alves to PSG: 4.5/5
H/T SkySports
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