Arsenal have emerged as surprise contenders to sign Brazilian full-back Dani Alves, it has been reported.
It’s imperative that the Gunners strengthen their defence, and the Mirror have claimed that they want to bring Alves to the Premier League.
The north London side have look at players who are available for a cheap or are free agents as they don’t have a big summer transfer budget following their failure to qualify for the Champions League last season.
With a budget of just £45 million, Arsenal have to be shrewd with their transfer business, which is why a move for Alves makes a lot of sense as the Brazilian is without a club.
Dani Alves: An illustrious career
One of the most experienced campaigners in the game at the moment, Alves has played for top sides including Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
He has won as many as 40 titles throughout his career, which includes three Champions League titles during his time at Camp Nou.
Alves made 23 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG during the previous campaign, and he managed 7 assists, which shows his influence hasn’t waned one bit.
His defensive statistics were also impressive as he managed to muster 1.8 tackles per game on an average, which shows that he is far from being an obsolete commodity and can put a foot in when needed.
Alves also played a key role for Brazil as they lifted the Copa America at their home turf earlier this month.
Although he is likely to move to a new club on a short-term contract, his new employers might have to shell out hefty wages as he reportedly earned in excess of £200,000-a-week at PSG.
Why Arsenal should sign Dani Alves
The north London club have been lacking the winning mentality in recent years and Alves’ move to the Emirates Stadium will not only inject that into the side, but also some much-needed quality at both ends of the pitch.
The 36-year-old is a versatile player as he is capable enough to play as a right-back as well as a wing-back, something that would be handy for Emery as he did use the three at the back system a few times last season, and could do so again next season.
Alves is an astute crosser of the ball, and is deadly on the break as he still has good pace despite his age, and can stretch teams on the transition. He is one player who can create openings on the right, and considering the Gunners have missed a good right-winger, he could potentially solve more than one problem.
Alves is a player of proven pedigree and would improve Arsenal’s squad. However, Arsenal need to act quickly as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are also monitoring him closely.
