Dani Alves Reportedly Asks to Leave Juventus Amid Man City, Chelsea Rumours

Juventus star Dani Alves has reportedly told the Bianconeri he wants to leave the club for Manchester City, while Chelsea also maintain an interest in the veteran full-back. 

Per the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano and Sachin Nakrani, Alves' primary goal is a reunion with City manager Pep Guardiola, who he worked under at Barcelona, but his agent will also engage in talks with the Blues.

Goal Italia (h/t Football Italia) expanded on those reports by saying the defender has already agreed to a two-year contract with City. 

According to the Guardian, Alves didn't hide his admiration of Guardiola in a recent piece he wrote for The Players' Tribune, calling the former Blaugrana boss a genius.

Siu Wu/Associated Press

Alves left the Catalans for Turin on a free transfer last summer and quickly became a popular figure among the fans. He played a crucial role in Juventus' run to the UEFA Champions League final, with two starring performances against AS Monaco in the semi-final.

His popularity has dropped tremendously since the end of the season, however. As shared by Squawka News, he antagonised the fanbase by openly advising star forward Paulo Dybala to leave the club:

Exit rumours intensified when Gonzalo Higuain posted a video in which he appeared to say goodbye to his team-mate, although Alves later explained on Twitter the clip was for a TV show, per Squawka's Jeorge Bird.

The Bianconeri have done a great job signing free agents in the last few years and generally aren't afraid to cash in if the value is right. Alves provided plenty of experience and leadership last season, but he's also 34 years old and any kind of fee has to be considered a bonus.

The Brazilian proved last year he's still got plenty in the tank, so for a club like City or Chelsea, a minimal investment comes with few risks and plenty of potential rewards.