In a surprising turn of events, Dani Alves has signed a year-long deal to play for Barcelona until June 30, 2022. The Brazilian becomes new head coach Xavi Hernandez’s first signing for the club.
The 38-year-old has returned to Camp Nou on a deal until the end of the season in a week full of homecomings for Barca. He followed former teammate Xavi Hernandez, who returned to his boyhood club as the head coach earlier this month to take over from Ronald Koeman.
Barcelona confirmed Alves’ arrival on a free transfer on Thursday evening. The defender, who was without a club after leaving Sao Paulo in mid-September, will be able to train with his new teammates starting next week but won’t be able to play an official game for the club until January since that is the earliest he can be registered with the league. The club confirmed the same through a statement released via their official website on Thursday.
“FC Barcelona and Dani Alves have reached an agreement in principle for the player to join the football first team for the remainder of the current season.
The Brazilian will be joining training from next week but will not be able to play until January.
The club will announce the full details at his official presentation as a new FC Barcelona player,”
it read.
Alves was widely recognized as one of the best full-backs of his generation during his first stint at Barcelona. The Brazilian joined the Spanish giants from Sevilla in 2008 and, over the next eight years, played almost 400 games for the club – while yielding a modest goal return for a defender of 21.
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Beyond the goals and assists, Alves became part of one of the most iconic club sides of the 2000s. He formed an important partnership with Lionel Messi on the right flank of Pep Guardiola’s revolutionary team and won plenty of accolades to show for it.
By the time Alves left Barcelona for Juventus in 2016, he had won the league six times, the cup four times, and the UEFA Champions League three times. His trophy haul of 43 across six clubs and three international sides is considered the highest in history.
