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Alves becomes a free agent this summer and Barcelona are minded to allow the 32-year-old to leave after Saturday’s Champions League final against Juventus in Berlin.
Paris Saint-Germain are interested in Alves, although their coach, Laurent Blanc, believes the player intends to remain at Barcelona. However, the view at Old Trafford is that this is simply because Alves does not wish to join PSG.
Van Gaal has made signing a right-back one of his priorities. Despite Alves’s age, the lack of a transfer fee makes the defender an attractive proposition. The Brazilian earns around £120,000 a-week, a sum that United could comfortably match or improve.
Van Gaal knows the Glazers, who own the club, and Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, expect United to challenge for the Premier League title next season. There is also a demand that United do well in the FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League. In order to satisfy the United hierarchy’s quest for silverware, Van Gaal cannot afford to take many gambles with his transfer policy. He is aiming to add proven winners to his squad. Alves, as a player who has a glittering CV and has been an integral member of Barça’s team, fits this profile.
At Barcelona, whom he joined in July 2008, the defender has won five La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, two Uefa Super Cups, the Club World Cup, three Copa del Rey and four Spanish Super Cups. When at Sevilla, Alves won the Uefa Cup twice, Super Cup, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. With Brazil, for whom he has 79 caps, Alves won the 2007 Copa América and was in the squads for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
This pedigree means Alves could expect to slot straight into the United side and ease the pressure on Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorean became first choice in the position last year, though he is still viewed as an auxiliary option having reverted from his natural right wing berth. Although Rafael da Silva is a right-back by trade and had a campaign disrupted by injury, he lost Van Gaal’s trust because of the manager’s reservations over his defensive qualities.
Other right-backs United may consider are Everton’s Séamus Coleman and Paris Saint-Germain’s Gregory van der Wiel.
United have a two-leg Champions League tie in August to navigate in order to enter the group stage. Lazio, Sporting Lisbon, CSKA Moscow and Monaco are all potential opponents, the home and away matches to be played on 18/19 and 25/26 August.
Van Gaal wants to complete as much of his transfer business as is possible early to prepare for the tie.
