Arsenal: The case for Dani Alves

With Hector Bellerin likely to miss the start of the season, Arsenal should at least consider signing Dani Alves on a free transfer.

Arsenal look set to begin the season with Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right-back. Academy graduate Jordi Osei-Tutu will spend the year on loan at German second-tier side VfL Bochum, Carl Jenkinson is surely set to leave, and usual starter Hector Bellerin will miss the start of the year through injury.

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One could argue the club is hindering Maitland-Niles’s development by continuing to play him out of position. The English youngster’s preferred position is actually in central midfield, where there is currently an Aaron Ramsey-sized hole.

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Furthermore, while he filled in admirably last season when called upon, most of his appearances came in a wing-back role. If Arsenal are to return to a back four, which many believe is necessary, they will need someone with actual experience playing in that set-up.

However, at the same time, they must avoid rushing Bellerin back into the team. The 24-year-old will likely miss all of pre-season as he continues his recovery from a serious ACL injury. Reports have suggested that Unai Emery would like to add a new right-back this summer. Thomas Meunier has been linked with a £25m move. Yet with a limited budget and other priorities, that doesn’t seem wise or even realistic.

For these reasons, I believe Dani Alves is well worth a look this summer. Alves is currently looking for a new club after confirming his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, and he will be available as a free agent next week.

I know what many of you are thinking. He’s 36 years old! Has nothing been learned from last season’s Stephan Lichtsteiner debacle? While I understand these reservations about signing Alves, I believe he can potentially be an excellent stopgap solution, temporarily filling in for Bellerin and then later backing up the Spaniard.

As the most decorated footballer of all time with 42 trophies, Alves has enjoyed a truly phenomenal career and is showing no signs of slowing down. The Brazilian is currently captaining the Seleção in Copa America and scored a wonderful goal in the group-stage against Peru, bursting forward and showing that he can still very much contribute in an attacking sense.

Whereas Lichtsteiner was lethargic and slow all season, Alves still appears to have plenty to offer in terms of energy, desire and ability. Having already plied his trade in Spain, Italy, and France, it is highly possible that he would want to add the Premier League to his impressive resume, being the ultra-competitor that he is. Additionally, Alves actually has some experience playing under Emery while at PSG, where they won the domestic treble together during the 2017-18 season.

With contracts officially expiring on June 30th, there will likely be many teams approaching Alves in the coming weeks. Arsenal could do a lot worse than offering the Brazilian a one-year contract.