Barcelona have revealed that new signing Dani Alves will wear the number eight shirt during his second spell at Camp Nou. The Brazilian has just returned to the club this week, becoming the first signing of the Xavi era.
Alves made 391 appearances for the Catalan club during his first spell between 2008 and 2016. He provided 21 goals and 101 assists during that time, becoming one of the greatest right-backs to have ever pulled on a pair of football boots.
Our new number 8️⃣ 👉 @DaniAlvesD2
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 16, 2021
He left for Juventus in summer 2016 before joining Paris Saint-Germain the following year. He spent two years in France before returning to Brazil to join his boyhood club Sao Paulo in 2019. They’re his most recent club, although he left in September after rescinding his contract over a financial dispute.
Most assists by a defender in a LaLiga season since 1998/99:
15 – Dani Alves
14 – Dani Alves
11 – Dani Alves
11 – Dani AlvesMost assists by a defender in a top-five league season since 2006/07:
15 – Dani Alves
14 – Dani AlvesBarcelona's No.8. 😉 pic.twitter.com/R7ppt5BBUL
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 16, 2021
Alves is now the ripe old age of 38, but is determined to prove he still has what it takes to compete amongst the elite of the elite and earn a place in Tite’s Brazil squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Just last summer, after all, he captained his country to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
It’ll be a big ask to replicate the form he displayed at his peak, however. Squawka pointed out that he occupies spots one through four in the list of defenders to have delivered the most assists in La Liga since the 1998/99 season, and the top two in the same list of defenders across Europe’s top five leagues since the 2006/7 season.
