Is Dani Alves Signing For PSG a Blessing in Disguise for Manchester City?

Dani Alves was widely believed to be headed to Manchester for quite some time. However, he now heads to Paris. What now for Guardiola’s side?

Dani Alves’ surprising last minute move to PSG came as a blow to both City fans and Pep Guardiola. The former Barcelona right back was thought to be the perfect fit for a City side. They play in a manner that requires the fullbacks to help create scoring chances while also being able to maintain possession. Out of all of City’s transfer targets this summer, Dani Alves’ seemed like the only sure shot signing. He was a free agent and his admiration and friendship with Pep Guardiola is well documented. Unfortunately, the Brazilian fullback decided to head to Paris.

I would be dishonest if I said that losing out on Alves does not sting. Although Alves’ performance in Serie A last season were not up to his usual standards, the man is considered one of the greatest right backs of all-time. Not to mention, he single handily willed his Juventus side to the Champions League final with monstrous performances against Barcelona and AS Monaco. He was exactly the type of player that City needed to replace Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna. Alves is a strong personality with the leadership qualities that Manchester City desperately need when skipper Vincent Kompany is sidelined through injury.

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Dani Alves not joining the blue half of Manchester means several things. Firstly, the price of Kyle Walker may have just gone up. Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy now knows that City’s other right back option is not happening. He also knows that Txiki Begiristain will be desperate to sign a right back before the season begins. City have lost all leverage and given the premium clubs already pay for English players, City may have to pay a record fee to acquire the rights to Walker. We may see more progress in this deal out of sheer panic by the City hierarchy who face the wrath of an unhappy Guardiola.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. This could mean that City academy graduate Pablo Maffeo may finally get a chance to break into the first team. All the signs at the moment point to a lack of trust between Guardiola and Maffeo. The constant loans to sister clubs suggest that Guardiola does not rate the youngster. Maffeo, if given the chance, could surprise Guardiola by playing well and save City millions of pounds in transfer fees. It also helps that the multi-dimensional workhorse Fernandinho is capable enough to fill in at right back. If Walker is signed, Fernandinho is a more than serviceable enough option to cover the backup right back role. Against the smaller clubs, Fernandinho has not looked out of place or lost playing in that role.

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City fans must also remember that Dani Alves is 34 years old going on 35. He was older than all the fullbacks the club released this summer barring Sagna by a few months. An ageing fullback who has never played in a league as demanding and fast as the Premier League could have been a recipe for disaster. His absurd wage demands could be better spent on a younger fullback who is in the prime of his career. Fans must also remember that Alves was still under contract by Juventus. There was no way City were going to buy a 34 year old fullback when they just released three who were in their 30’s. He only became a surprise option when his contract was terminated. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Cityzens.