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According to Brazilian news outlet UOL, Paris Saint-Germain right-back Daniel Alves is opting to delay talks in regards to a new contract. While PSG are eager to extend his tenure in France, Alves wants to wait for and possibly explore new horizons — preferably in England.
The 36-year-old had a solid season in Paris, getting 3 goals and 8 assists in 30 matches thus far while featuring in several positions, from his natural right-back position to attacking midfield. Despite his age, his versatility is highly valued by coach Thomas Tuchel and the club’s top brass, who have already offered him an one-year contract extension.
However, Alves wants at least a two-year renewal, as well as squad reinforcements that will not force him to move out of his preferred right-back role as often as he did last season.
And he appears to be negotiating from a position of power.
“At the moment, I have not made a decision on my future. The only tip I can give is that I have a lot of options. It is not something that I like to ponder.”
“I like to fulfil my mission. I have a contract with PSG until the end of June [this year] and until then I will give 200% of myself to the club.”
“If I stay, I will continue doing my best. If I do otherwise, I will keep on doing my best somewhere else. But I will still be grateful for the opportunities I had.”
-Daniel Alves; source: Antena 1 via UOL Esporte
Another factor for consideration for Alves is the amount of criticism he's received in French media. His detractors say he does not have the fitness to endure a full 90-minute match anymore, even though he did that on several occasions throughout the season. But he is in for a huge surprise if he thinks the English media will treat him any better...
In any case, Alves could be an useful (if very expensive) short-term option to Chelsea. We reportedly showed interest in him last summer, along with Manchester City and Manchester United, and he opted to go to PSG instead. Now that he is trying to make amends, maybe we could take another shot at him — if we are allowed to by FIFA or CAS, that is.