Manchester City are interested in Brazilian veteran Dani Alves, who currently boasts a free agent status after his Paris Saint-Germain contract reached its conclusion last month.
According to a report from Globo Esporte, the 36-year-old was linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium before the commencement of Copa America while also having other offers from Italy, Spain and France.
Alves wants a minimum of a two-year deal and a competitive league to bolster his chances of making it in the Brazilian national team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Brazil captain along with his agent will travel to Europe next Wednesday to finalise in what is likely to be his final destination before he hangs up his boot, the report adds.
The former Barcelona full-back made 38 appearances across all competitions last season ending the campaign on a high lifting the Copa America with the national side.
He was also elected the best player of the tournament, which speaks volumes about his attitude and fitness levels even at 36 years of age.
A good option for the club?
Alves is a versatile player who primarily features as a right-back and possesses the ability to fill in other areas across midfield or defence if the manager requires him.
The veteran fullback doesn’t have any particular flaws and boasts a plethora of experience under his belt having plied his trade in three of the top five leagues across the continent.
The Brazilian is an excellent passer of the ball and his confidence and technical prowess on the ball helps him in his flamboyant approach.
He averaged a pass success rate of 86.2% with 1.3 key passes, 0.8 crosses, 0.3 through balls and 2.4 long balls per game across all competitions last term.
The former Juventus star also contributes heavily in both the attacking and defensive phases of the play. Alves’ reading of the game and ability to assess the situation ahead of the opponent is the highlight of his style of play.
He managed 1.2 shots, 2 tackles, 0.4 interceptions and 0.5 clearances per 90 minutes last term. Although his strength is unparalleled to many players out there, he lacks aerial prowess on the pitch.
He managed 0.7 successful aerial duels per game and was fouled a total of 1.1 times 90 minutes, which highlights his supreme ability to hold on to the possession against opposition players.
Apart from all the numbers, the Brazilian also has huge admiration for City boss Pep Guardiola.
The 36-year-old once said, ‘Guardiola’s coaching is better than s*x’, a statement which needs no further explanation.
Alves and Guardiola could once again reunite after their ultra-successful reign at Barcelona, where the pair lifted 14 titles in the space of 4 years.
The Brazilian’s attitude, personality and experience will be a major boost to the Sky Blues dressing room especially after the departure of a key figure and former captain Vincent Kompany.
With speculation around Danilo leaving the Manchester-based outfit for Inter Milan, a move for Alves sounds like the right choice at this moment in time if the much younger Brazilian does make an exit.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored
