Dani Alves celebrated his 39th birthday on Friday, but is now facing an anxious wait on Barcelona officials as he dreams of creating more history at the club.
The Brazilian right-back became the first signing of new Blaugrana boss Xavi Hernandez at the Camp Nou, arriving on a free transfer after his contract was cancelled at Sao Paulo. Alves returned to the club after five-and-a-half years away earlier this season and has become an important member of the first-team squad, making 13 first team appearances.
Alves was one of quartet of January arrivals – alongside Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore – that helped transform Xavi’s Barcelona, but he was cruelly cut from the club’s European squad due to UEFA rules that club’s could only register three new players into their ranks for the competitions during the season.
The Brazilian’s energy levels and performances have ensured he is often preferred in the position to Sergino Dest in the position. Dest is the only other specialist right-back in the Blaugrana’s squad in what has been a long-term problem position at the club, with central defender Oscar Mingueza and utility player Sergi Roberto often played in that role over recent seasons.
Alves signed a temporary contract at the club to cover the second half of the 2021-22 campaign, with a decision yet to be taken about his future going forwards. The club do hold the option of extending the player’s contract at the Camp Nou by a further season and this is something that the player is particularly keen to accept.
This landmark deal would take Alves past his 40 th birthday and would ensure that the club do not need to invest further in the position ahead of what could be a busy summer in Catalonia. Alves is keen to play at the highest level in order to win a place in the Brazil squad for this year’s World Cup in Qatar and he feels reinvigorated by his return to Barca.
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Alves wants to participate in his fourth World Cup and add to his 122 caps for the Selecao, for whom he has won multiple Copa America tournaments alongside last year’s Olympics Gold medal. But he has never tasted success in the World Cup.
Winning trophies is another key element to his future. The defender has won 47 trophies as a player – more than any other current active footballer, and that is a list that does not include a Gold medal at last year’s Olympics and a FIFA World Youth Championship with Brazil’s Under-20 side in 2003. Alves’s most decorated spell was when he won 26 trophies in his first spell at the Camp Nou between 2008 and 2016, including six La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns.
There is no question in the mind of Alves over whether or not he should extend his stay at Barca into next season but now faces a wait from club officials before he can plan beyond this summer.
