Barcelona Transfer News & Rumors 2015: Dani Alves On His Way Out; Stats Indicate He Is in Decline
Dani Alves has seen it all at Barcelona.
He has won four Spanish League titles, two Champions League titles, two Copa del Rey titles, two FIFA Club World Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and four Spanish Super Cups.
And he could still add to those titles at Barcelona, but only until the summer hits.
According to reports, the Brazilian right-back is likely on his way out of the Camp Nou this summer.
"They haven't contacted us," agent Dinorah Santana said, according to Goal.com. "I interpret that silence to mean they don't want Dani Alves, so we will begin searching for a new club. We won't wait for Barcelona, they have to take the plunge. Alves has spent seven years here and he has behaved like a professional at all times.
"Barcelona have not had a sports director for a month and Alves is free to negotiate with any club."
It's a bit unfortunate for the Brazilian, who, at 31, is on the decline.
His numbers, offensively and defensively, simply do not help his case as an elite soccer player any longer.
Offense has always been his core competency as a soccer star for Blaugrana, but the numbers in 2014-15 do not tell the most complimentary of stories. He has two assists in 16 Spanish League tilts, an improvement over last season, when he only had three in 27 games. However, these numbers are a far cry from his better years in 2011-12 and 2010-11, when he managed 11 assists and 15 assists, respectively. He is averaging fewer key passes per game than his career average of 1.7, even though he is close to his career average in passes per game. His crosses are around average while his long balls per game are admittedly down.
And if his offensive side is dipping, then his defensive numbers are floundering.
Unfortunately for Alves, this is where much of the criticism has come against him. He is averaging more tackles per game, but that might be attributable to other parts of his game declining. He is around his career average in fouls, but he is managing fewer interceptions per game and fewer clearances per game.
Granted, these numbers are not woeful by any means, especially when compared to his career averages, but he is aging and it is hard to expect for them to improve. Throw in the fact that he has a tendency to get caught up the pitch on counterattacks and you have a recipe for failure.
Alves is averaging more tackles than any other Barcelona player this season with 4.1 per game, but he is far down the list in average interceptions per game. The most damning statistic, of course, is that he is second on the team in the amount of times per game that he is dribbled past at 1.1; Sergio Busquets, who is in the middle of the pitch, is the leader in this category and, given his position, it is not surprising. But Alves, a player whose game is predicated on speed and plays on the wing? That is something should not be expected. His average this season is actually higher than his career average of being dribbled past one time per game, which furthers the point. In fact, Alves had never averaged over one per game since 2009-10, when he managed an average of 1.4 in 2013-14, another indication that the decline is very real. His loss of speed might account for his increase in tackles, his only real option when he is tasked with slowing down players he can no longer keep up with.
Barcelona is not particularly deep on defense and is far from an elite team on that side of the ball. And with the transfer ban still looming large, it is hard to believe that the team will improve without Alves. That said, there are likely some youngsters in La Masia or even on the current squad that could get a better chance to fill in. Martin Montoya is certainly the top candidate to take over the position and at age 23, though he still has room to grow, he is already better than Alves in many respects.
The youngster is already averaging more clearances per game, more interceptions per game and is not being dribbled past as often as Alves is this year. He is ready to seize the spot and that is the writing on the wall for the Brazilian. Montoya does not have the offensive prowess of Alves, but the team is not really lacking in that respect, especially with Lionel Messi taking command of the right wing.
Is Alves' time at Barcelona up? Will he be the latest Blaugrana legend to leave the squad for good?