Dani Alves spent 'a lot of time' trying to secure Barcelona return

Dani Alves has admitted he spent "a lot of time" trying to seal his Barcelona return before a deal was eventually agreed.

Barça's decision to offer a contract to the 38-year-old surprised the footballing world as most recently he had been plying his trade with Sao Paulo. Following a dispute over image rights the Brazilian side terminated his deal and he has been searching for a fresh challenge ever since.

Alves' return to Barcelona - whom he initially joined in 2008 before leaving eight years later - was confirmed at the beginning of the month and although he will not be eligible to play for the first team until January, he revealed that the move had left him delighted.

“I spent a lot of time trying to return and I am very happy,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “To be able to work with people that I know, to me, is always a privilege.”

Alves becomes Xavi's first signing since taking over as Barça head coach, and the pair know each other well from their time together as players at Camp Nou.

The pair won six La Liga titles for the Blaugrana, in addition to three Champions League crowns. They also regularly featured alongside each other in UEFA's Team of the Year.

At 38, Alves is well past his prime. However, he is confident that pulling on the famous Barça jersey again will give him an extra spring in his step.

“It’s a marvellous opportunity, an incredible challenge. To return to put this shirt on again will give me extra strength and adrenaline.”

Despite his age Alves has put in some impressive performances in recent times, notably captaining Brazil to a gold medal in the 2020 Olympics last summer.

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