Matt Diablo
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Re: Dani Alves
Man City launch British record bid for Barcelona superstar - Exclusive
Published 23:00 12/06/10 By Simon Mullock
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Manchester City have launched a British-record £40million bid for Brazilian defender Daniel Alves.
City made an approach to Barcelona for the man regarded as the world’s best right-back when they began negotiations to take midfielder Yaya Toure to Eastlands.
The Spanish champions immediately rejected the offer – but Alves has told the Nou Camp club that he wants the opportunity to speak to City because he feels promises have been broken on his contract situation at the club.
City are ready to treble Alves’ current £62,000-a-week wages.
The deal would make him both the world’s most expensive defender – smashing the previous record of £30million that Real Madrid paid for Pepe – and also the highest-paid player at the club.
City’s Abu Dhabi owners want to land at least one marquee name this summer.
And with Robinho set to depart – possibly to Barcelona – they have identified Alves as their man.
Alves, 28, has been taking English lessons for the past 12 months and, although there has been interest from Chelsea, he has personal reasons for choosing Manchester ahead of London.
His head has been turned so much by the determination of City to bring him to England that he will wait until January or even next summer to get his move.
A club source confirmed: “City’s interest is 100 per cent and Dani is excited by the prospect of playing in the English Premier League for a club that has plans to become the best in the world.”
City boss Roberto Mancini is a big admirer of the man who has become key for both Barcelona and Brazil in recent years.
Mancini’s preferred formation is to play with two holding midfielders so that his full-backs can join the attack at will – and there is no one better in the world in that role than Alves.
City feel that they will get two players for the price of one such is Alves’s versatility down the right flank and are ready to pay the price to get him
Alves, a married father of two, is also a dead-ball specialist.
Last summer he scored a sensational free-kick against South Africa to win the Confederations Cup for his country.
City will have to wait until after the World Cup to speak in person with Alves – if they can tempt Barcelona into selling.
Brazilian coach Dunga has turned his team’s World Cup training camp in Johannesburg into a boot camp in a bid to lift the trophy for a sixth time.
Dunga confiscates all mobile phone and laptop computers during the day, allowing players to speak to family and friends only during the evening.
He has also banned all transfer and contract negotiations during the tournament and has told agents to stay away from his players.
City, meanwhile, are continuing to negotiate with Barcelona over Toure.
The midfielder, brother of City skipper Kolo, is refusing to be used as a makeweight in the Catalans’ bid to land Cesc Fabregas.
City are prepared to pay £25m – but that is £10m short of Barca’s valuation.
Eastlands officials hope the La Liga giants resurrect their interest in current British-record signing Robinho so that a player exchange can be agreed.
Man City launch British record bid for Barcelona superstar - Exclusive
Published 23:00 12/06/10 By Simon Mullock
Recommend
Manchester City have launched a British-record £40million bid for Brazilian defender Daniel Alves.
City made an approach to Barcelona for the man regarded as the world’s best right-back when they began negotiations to take midfielder Yaya Toure to Eastlands.
The Spanish champions immediately rejected the offer – but Alves has told the Nou Camp club that he wants the opportunity to speak to City because he feels promises have been broken on his contract situation at the club.
City are ready to treble Alves’ current £62,000-a-week wages.
The deal would make him both the world’s most expensive defender – smashing the previous record of £30million that Real Madrid paid for Pepe – and also the highest-paid player at the club.
City’s Abu Dhabi owners want to land at least one marquee name this summer.
And with Robinho set to depart – possibly to Barcelona – they have identified Alves as their man.
Alves, 28, has been taking English lessons for the past 12 months and, although there has been interest from Chelsea, he has personal reasons for choosing Manchester ahead of London.
His head has been turned so much by the determination of City to bring him to England that he will wait until January or even next summer to get his move.
A club source confirmed: “City’s interest is 100 per cent and Dani is excited by the prospect of playing in the English Premier League for a club that has plans to become the best in the world.”
City boss Roberto Mancini is a big admirer of the man who has become key for both Barcelona and Brazil in recent years.
Mancini’s preferred formation is to play with two holding midfielders so that his full-backs can join the attack at will – and there is no one better in the world in that role than Alves.
City feel that they will get two players for the price of one such is Alves’s versatility down the right flank and are ready to pay the price to get him
Alves, a married father of two, is also a dead-ball specialist.
Last summer he scored a sensational free-kick against South Africa to win the Confederations Cup for his country.
City will have to wait until after the World Cup to speak in person with Alves – if they can tempt Barcelona into selling.
Brazilian coach Dunga has turned his team’s World Cup training camp in Johannesburg into a boot camp in a bid to lift the trophy for a sixth time.
Dunga confiscates all mobile phone and laptop computers during the day, allowing players to speak to family and friends only during the evening.
He has also banned all transfer and contract negotiations during the tournament and has told agents to stay away from his players.
City, meanwhile, are continuing to negotiate with Barcelona over Toure.
The midfielder, brother of City skipper Kolo, is refusing to be used as a makeweight in the Catalans’ bid to land Cesc Fabregas.
City are prepared to pay £25m – but that is £10m short of Barca’s valuation.
Eastlands officials hope the La Liga giants resurrect their interest in current British-record signing Robinho so that a player exchange can be agreed.