The Chinese Super League has already made some huge signings during this transfer window, and FC Barcelona star Dani Alves is the next high-profile target, according to reports in Spain.
In a remarkable transfer window, Chinese Super League clubs have broken the country’s football transfer record three times in quick succession with the signings of Chelsea midfielder Ramires (£25m to Jiangsu Suning), Atlético Madrid striker Jackson Martínez (£31m to Guangzhou Evergrande) and Shakhtar Donetsk attacker Alex Teixeira (£38m to Jiangsu Suning).
The spate of high-profile captures has left the world of football reeling, and reports in Spain suggest China could be preparing itself for the biggest transfer yet. According to Catalan daily newspaper Mundo Deportivo, an unnamed Chinese club has approached FC Barcelona star Dani Alves with an offer that would make him the sixth-highest paid player in world football.
China, a por Alves #portada #deportes https://t.co/H6YjKvvO3o pic.twitter.com/S1DPJ6r6wE
— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) February 9, 2016
Dani Alves has received a 12m€ per year proposal from China, according to Mundo Deportivo. It would turn him into 6th highest paid player
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) February 9, 2016
The Brazil international has reportedly received a three-year proposal worth €12 million a year, and if Barcelona choose to sell, there is still plenty of time for the deal to go through since the transfer window in China closes on the 26th of February. Mundo Deportivo claim that only the player has been approached and no formal offer has been made for the 32-year-old to the club.
By his own admission, Dani Alves was on the verge of leaving the Nou Camp this summer, with top European clubs like Paris Saint-Germain interested in his signature. The Brazilian chose to stay instead and signed a contract till 2017, with the option of extending it for another year. The approach from China could throw a spanner in the works as far as his plans for the future are concerned, and it will not be a surprise to see the right-back plying his trade in the Chinese Super League at some point in the future.
FC Barcelona could be tempted by huge offer for Dani Alves
Even though he is very much a member of Luis Enrique’s starting XI, a huge transfer offer for Dani Alves may well tempt the Catalan giants. The club are facing some significant financial issues, in part due to their enormous wage bill which is set to increase next season due to a clause in Lionel Messi’s contract that will see him almost double his current wages.
The harsh reality is that FC Barcelona could do with an injection of cash, and they may also feel that there is sufficient cover at right-back if Alves were to be sold. Summer singing Aleix Vidal would be the obvious replacement of course, but youngster Sergi Roberto has also played in the position with some success this season. This transfer is still extremely unlikely given there is still so much to play for this season for Dani Alves, but it is certainly not as unlikely as it may appear on the surface.
