Dani Alves is set to discover his future at Barcelona which will be influenced by transfer decisions of Chelsea.
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 last September.
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, playing 17 matches in the second half of the campaign for the Blaugrana – scoring once.
Alves was one of a 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 clubs could only register three new players into their ranks for the competitions during the season.
The 39-year-old re-joined the Blaugrana on just a short-term contract through to the end of the current campaign but his future beyond this summer remains uncertain. He is out of contract at the end of the current month and according to Diario Sport, has yet to hear an update from the club in an indication that they still have not made a decision on his future.
It coincides with the club looking to sign multiple defenders this summer having already agreed on a deal to sign free agent Andreas Christensen following the expiration of his contract at Chelsea. However, Barca will send proposals to sign two other defenders from the Blues on cut-price deals.
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As detailed by Marca, the Catalan giants are hopeful of concluding deals to sign Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta from Stamford Bridge this summer. Both players are out of contract next summer and may be allowed to be moved on. However, with Christensen and Antonio Rudiger having already departed the Blues as free agents this term, may be reluctant to sign off on their departures.
Barca’s move to sign Azpilicueta is an indication that Alves is not a player who is central to their plans next season. Sergino Dest is the only other specialist right-back in Xavi’s squad although midfielder Sergi Roberto, who has often been deployed in the position for the club – has recently penned a new one-year contract.
Any new contract would take Alves past his 40th 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.
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.
