There was only ever going to be one answer
Sevilla sporting director, Monchi, believes Dani Alves is his best ever signing for the club.
Speaking at a virtual press conference on Thursday morning, Monchi was asked what his best piece of recruitment was across his 20 years at the helm, in terms of value for money.
“Well, I think the example is Dani Alves,” he told JOE, taking very little time to consider his answer.
“He fulfilled his potential. He’s a player about whom we discovered very little.
“It was a very cheap price for him. He improved, started winning titles and then we sold him for a lot of money.”
The Brazilian joined the Spanish club in 2003, Monchi’s third year in charge of their recruitment, initially on loan from Bahia before a permanent move was secured for just £450,000.
In his six seasons in Andalusia, Alves made a name for himself as one of the world’s best players in his position, making 250 appearances for the club as they established their position as a top flight club, having been relegated in 2000 before coming back up a year later.
Dani Alves with his first assist of many.
What a cross 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7tNEf6aOs6
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) January 8, 2022
Alves’ form at Sevilla then earned him a move to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, and Sevilla a tidy profit of £23m.
During his time the Camp Nou, Alves won a host of trophies before moving on to Juventus and then Paris Saint-Germain where he picked up a few more titles, becoming the most decorated player in men’s footballing history, with a staggering 43 titles to his name.
👴 38 years old
🏆 43 career trophies
🇧🇷 Played every minute of Brazil's Olympic run
🥇 Scored in the shoot-out to help Brazil to gold medal matchDani Alves appreciation post 🐐 pic.twitter.com/98R76TNB7a
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) August 3, 2021
While many associate Alves more with Barcelona than Sevilla, especially after his return to the Camp Nou in 2021, Monchi is evidently still proud of the player’s time at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, and the impression the club left on him.
“Today, when he talks about Sevilla, he talks about us in a very positive manner,” he says through a beaming smile.
He might be 38, but Alves is showing no signs of settling down. His last two moves – he also enjoyed a two year stint at Sao Paulo before his return to Europe – would suggest he’s got a taste for nostalgia. So it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he ends up back at Sevilla in some capacity.
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