City target: Barcelona's Alves is wanted at
Eastlands
Barcelona are ready to improve their ‘final’ contract
offer to Brazil defender Dani Alves in an attempt to ward off
interest from Manchester
City.
The raiding right back wants to be paid close to the figures
earned by the club’s best players if he is to sign an extension to
his deal, which ends in 2012.
After talks dragging on for months, Alves and Barca are still
believed to be a long way apart, while City and Chelsea are
monitoring developments.
City can offer the 27-year-old much better terms and prised Yaya
Toure from the Nou Camp in the summer, though reports in Catalonia
insist Alves’s first choice would be to remain at the club.
Barca, who are determined to rein in spending after announcing
annual losses and mounting debts in the summer, are reluctant to
hand out another mega contract.
But they are exploring ways of topping up the former Sevilla
player’s salary with incentives in a deal that would satisfy both
sides.
Barca hope to conclude talks before the transfer window reopens
in January, which will be the optimum time to sell if no agreement
seems likely.