Manchester City Transfer News: Dani Alves Keen on Sky Blues Switch, Top Rumours
Juventus defender Dani Alves could reunite with former coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as he seeks a move to the Premier League.
The Sun (h/t Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News) reported the Brazilian wants to experience football in England and hopes to link up with his former Barcelona boss at the Etihad Stadium.
City have had a multitude of defensive problems since the start of Guardiola's tenure, and the Catalan coach will want to shuffle the pack in the summer.
However, Alves will be 34 next season, and life is brutal on ageing players in the Premier League. City now have four senior full-backs the wrong side of 30, and Guardiola needs to find the next generation of defensive options.
The player's high wage demands could also be a stumbling block for the Sky Blues, according to The Sun.
Alves would remain a dangerous player from the bench for City—here is the veteran in recent action:
Guardiola could return to the Bundesliga to shop for wide players as he runs the rule over Bayer Leverkusen youngster Julian Brandt.
According to Marca (h/t TalkSport), Real Madrid have joined City and Liverpool in monitoring the outstanding talent, whose reputation has exploded in the past 12 months.
The winger has made 29 appearances in the Bundesliga and Europe this term, according to WhoScored.com, and he's emerged as one of the continent's most dynamic young players.
Squawka Football highlighted the player's aggressive mindset as he attempts to beat his marker in games:
The former Wolfsburg player has already made his full debut for the Germany national side, and his development curve continues to impress pundits and scouts.
Los Blancos hold an interest in Brandt, per Marca, providing serious competition to Premier League club's who covet his ability and potential. The player is rated at £30 million at present, but the price will surely go up as he improves his output.
There is still life in Alves' legs, but a transfer to City would be a strange move by Guardiola. The Sky Blues have an ageing squad, and the defender would need time to adapt to the pace of English football.
Brandt is certainly the type of player City have courted in recent years, and the Etihad club have not been afraid to dig deep into their pockets to secure young talent like Raheem Sterling and John Stones.
Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt has shown great faith in the wide player, and he will not allow him to depart unless the price is substantial.
