Sport
Brazilian star could be game-changer for Manchester City
Dani Alves wants to play football in England. This has caused a tsunami of rumours about his future, which were only reinforced by a farewell video posted by Gonzalo Higuain before the Argentine swiftly deleted it.
The Brazilian reached the Champions League final with Juventus last season as well as playing a pivotal role in yet another Scudetto for the Old Lady. Even at 34, Alves is one of the world’s best right-backs, a supreme creator and competent defender, he is naturally a highly desired man considering the dearth of top class right-backs across Europe.
His role was – at times – unheralded in the world’s greatest ever club team at the Camp Nou. His understanding with Lionel Messi was as influential to the Argentine’s success as anything or anyone. Two-way full-backs of such experience, reputation and class are rare in the modern game, which is a great testament to the veteran’s longevity.
City come calling
The Brazilian’s brilliance naturally piqued the interest of many a club when he was due to leave Barcelona. Now another transfer is in the offing, clubs have been tempted again. The overwhelming favourite to sign Alves, however, remains Manchester City. City are desperate for full-backs and Pep Guardiola has a good relationship with his former star. It is a perfect match.
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy have all left the club this summer. The trio – along with Aleksandar Kolarov – could not play the full-back role as Guardiola desires as their long careers rapidly caught up with them. Each had their own failings – whether defensively or offensively – but they held one similarity: they were not good enough.
This summer will be a full-back feast for City. Benjamin Mendy, Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker are all likely arrivals, but that hall of energy and talent is not enough to perturb Guardiola from moving for Alves. The Brazilian is a once-in- a-generation phenomenon.
Stepping up the game
Whether they miss out on one of the aforementioned trio or not, the Alves signing is a statement from City. Veterans have let them down in recent seasons, but Alves is a different calibre. He will not be starting 60 matches a season – he may not even start 25 – yet he is a signing that sets the standard for the City squad.
Relinquishing a minor transfer fee may not grab headlines, though the wages will be blockbuster. Alves will not come cheap for what will likely be the final season of his career at the peak of the European game. The fact City are willing to stump up such a cost is not only a reflection of his class, but also City’s ambition.
As they have collected a group of the world’s best prospects, City have a squad ready to mount a claim to join the European top table with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. They have the manager they waited so long for, now they are investing to make up ground.
Alves’ experience of the Champions League – especially in contrast to Kyle Walker – could prove invaluable. Even if he is used sparingly domestically, the Juventus wing-back will be a gem of an addition if he can aid City’s attempts to consolidate their standing in the latter stages of Europe’s premier competition.
Building towards the title
Even if Alves is rarely seen in the Premier League, his experience will aid a squad that was guilty of succumbing to naivety at times last season. It’s hard to envisage a better backup for Walker in the right-back slot, too.
City’s spending has yet to really begin, and we have already seen Bernardo Silva and Ederson arrive at the Etihad Stadium. Ederson should emphatically answer the goalkeeping chaos that blighted their 2016/17 campaign, while Silva bolsters an already fearsome forward line.
The greatest down fall for Guardiola’s side last year, however, was their full-backs. Unable to cope with the demands of the system or defend when forced to push high up the pitch, they were rotated frequently and too often humiliated.
Signing Alves alone would not be a solve all, but it is expected at least two others will arrive this summer. Alves as an additional summer treat for the City fan base is the acquisition of a title winner.
