Barcelona unsure of veteran defender’s renewal, final decision in Xavi’s hands

Dani Alves’ return to Barcelona has been nothing short of a fairytale. At 38 years of age, the Brazilian took up the challenge of returning to the club he loves and has not disappointed.

In five La Liga starts for the Catalans so far, he has scored one goal and provided two assists. He averages a whopping 2.2 key passes per game and has created two big chances.

While Alves has been extremely solid in the final third, his defensive contributions have been questionable. With his legs ageing, the Brazilian has lost speed and is often caught on the counter.

Thus, it was not particularly surprising that Xavi decided to start Ronald Araujo over Alves for the game against Real Madrid.

According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, the continuity of Dani Alves is still undecided. The final decision lies with Xavi Hernandez.

Barcelona signed the right-back in November on a six-month contract with an option to unilaterally extend for another year. But they could not field him in an official game until January as he wasn’t registered with the league.

Barcelona are eyeing the signature of Cesar Azpilicueta and Noussair Mazraoui heading into the summer transfer window. If one of the two free agents arrive, one would expect Dani Alves to leave the club.

However, the manager could also opt to keep the Brazilian just for his experience and presence in the dressing room. Having a player of Alves’ stature would undoubtedly help the development of young talents.