MY ACCOUNT
Dani Alves wants to stay at Barcelona past the end of this season but acknowledges the club will decide his future.
Having left the Blaugrana to join Juventus in June 2016, Alves announced his return to Camp Nou in November 2021, though he had to wait until January to be eligible to feature for the Catalan giants.
The 39-year-old has contributed one goal and three assists in 13 appearances since then, 12 of them starts, as Barca look to ensure a top-four finish in LaLiga after improving since Xavi’s arrival as head coach in November.
After making a positive impact since returning, Alves is hoping to extend his long association with Los Cules past the expiration of his deal at the end of the campaign.
While pledging to always “give 200 per cent” for the club, however, Alves admitted his future would be decided by others.
“I live intensely all day, without thinking beyond that because I don’t know what will happen. But what is certain is that I would like to continue because I feel at home here,” he told Marca.
“I am at this club and team, which I had to fight to return to for five years and I think I can keep contributing, although it doesn’t only depend on me.
“I’m not too worried about it, though. My mission was to come here and show what I can contribute. I’m not one of those people who thinks, because of my career and everything I’ve won, that I don’t have to keep proving myself.
“I will always think that I have to prove my worth. I can’t do anything else but give 200 percent to the club that I love. But it’s up to them to decide.
“I know where I am in my life and my career, but I also know what’s inside me. I think any club that doesn’t have me is losing out.
“If Barcelona want me to renew my contract, I’m delighted. If they don’t want me to then I’ll say ‘thank you very much’ and will continue to defend this club to the death wherever I am.”
Having gone unbeaten in 13 away league games (eight wins, five draws), Barcelona can strengthen their grip on second place in LaLiga when they travel to Copa del Rey winners Real Betis on Saturday.
With things looking up again at Barcelona after the ill-fated tenure of Xavi’s predecessor Ronald Koeman, Alves says the club’s transfer business will decide whether the Blaugrana can compete for major honours next season.
“It will depend on the transfer market business. That will determine whether the club can aspire to great things or not. You have to get it right and add quality to what you already have,” he added.
“Xavi’s arrival brought knowledge of the club, of fighting for the badge and history of this club. It is also important to make mistakes because it gives you more experience. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t see if what you’re doing is right or not.
“Mistakes have been made and we’ve seen which way isn’t the way to go, so now the club is restructuring again. But we don’t know how long it will take.
“If the new signings take in the idea that Xavi proposes then it won’t be long before the club aspires to great things again. If not, it will take a bit longer. But people need to understand where they are and what needs to be done to get good results.”
