Manchester City are reportedly the latest side to join the race in landing Brazilian star Dani Alves. The 34-year-old has been phenomenal for Serie A champions, Juventus last season, which went flawlessly until old archrivals Real Madrid spoiled it in the Champions League final. And now numerous clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move for him this summer.
Pep Guardiola had a nightmarish first season in the Premier League with Manchester City. After starting the season very strongly, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager found himself helpless as he saw his tactics absolutely going haywire in the fast-paced gameplay in England.
Of course, he didn’t get the chance to totally remodel the City squad according to his wish, which forced him to play with aged players brought in by the likes of Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini. He found it hard to superimpose his subtle free-flowing tactics on the existing squad and the first thing Guardiola did after securing a top four finish last season was let go of most of the players whose contract expires this summer.
Among all the defensive concerns, right-back has been a grave one for the manager. He tried Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta, central midfielder Fernandinho and finally winger Jesus Navas in that role, but no one could satisfy his vision. And now with tremendous pressure to win next season, a move for his well-acquainted defensive general makes more sense.
The Brazilian international has surely been a surprise package last season. His move from Camp Nou to Turin was thought by many as his last, given his age. But, he is one of those late bloomers, who gets better with age. And his tireless running on that right flank throughout the 90 minutes and more if needed, with his brilliant eye for the key pass, shows that he still has at least two years left in him.
While there was absolutely no reason to leave Juventus anytime sooner, given their stature in the Italian league as well as in the Europe, the Champions League final might have changed everything for the player. After three Champions League with Barcelona, Alves was fancying a rare feat of doing it the fourth time with Juventus and failing to do so might spur him to change his mind.
And it is where City have the real advantage. Alves is a huge fan of the City manager, who he believes has played a great role in shaping his career at Nou Camp. Under Guardiola, Alves has played 208 games, scoring 15 goals and assisting a whopping 67 times. He surely knows how to get the best out of Alves and a move is very much on the cards.
