Dani Alves to leave Barcelona and join Juventus on a free transfer - reports
Barcelona right-back Dani Alves is set to join Juventus for free on a three-year contract. Reports from Spain’s Cadena Ser say that the Brazilian will leave Barcelona on June 30th to sign for the Italian giants. Alves was under contract till 2017, but it is believed that he will join the Turin side for free.
Alves was very close to leaving Barcelona last year, when there was a standoff about his contract situation. However, days later amidst interest from top clubs like Manchester United and PSG, Alves signed a two-year contract extension. He might be joined by his Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano who is also reportedly a target for Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Alves has been a major part of the successful Barcelona sides and he formed a particularly good partnership with Lionel Messi providing innumerable assists to the diminutive Argentine. He arrived from Sevilla for a transfer fee of €20M and he has gone on to win 22 trophies with the Catalan giants.
The move is being made to ease the astronomical wage bill at Barcelona. Hector Bellerin is being touted as a possible replacement, though it is believed that the Barcelona coaching staff are ready to place their faith on Aleix Vidal and Douglas.
Dani Alves says he wants Atletico Madrid to win the Champions League final
Alves might be leaving Barcelona, but that did not stop him from taking a dig at huge rivals Real Madrid.
Diego Simeone’s men knocked the defending champions out of Europe’s premier club competition in the quarter-finals courtesy ofAntoine Griezmann’s two goals in the second leg of the tie and Alves hopes they prevail over their historic city rivals on Saturday.Los Colchoneros also went on to defeat favorites Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the competition and Alves believes they have done enough to deserve the title.
Speaking to AS, he said, "I want Atletico to win, but not because I want Madrid to lose. I like it when Madrid do not win, of course, but I want Atletico to win as they are the team who has worked hardest.”
"They deserve a trophy on this level. Madrid have already won lots of Champions Leagues. I would like [Atletico] to have a prize for their work in these years."
Despite the defeat in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Alves is of the opinion that his team remain the best in the world, having backed up their treble heroics last season with a double this season.
"I expect to see a great game, but that will not change that we are the best in the world," he said. "We have achieved what nobody else has,” Alves concluded.