Too good to check: Dani Alves enters the Chelsea transfer rumour mill

Dani Alves is an impossibly perfect transfer target for Chelsea on many levels. So of course, with silly season well underway, the legendary wing-back is the subject of transfer banter.

Antonio Conte turned Victor Moses, a serviceable winger, into a world-class wing-back. As a result of Moses’ and Chelsea’s success in the 3-4-3, wing-backs are in high demand and very short supply. Chelsea need to reinforce Moses and Marcos Alonso. Conte will likely convert another player to wing-back, in large part because no one on the transfer market would meet his needs.

Unless, as at least one rumour now wants us to believe, Juventus are willing to part with Dani Alves. Alves inevitably comes up in any discussion of potential wing-back transfers, despite no indication that he is on the market. He is the greatest wing-back of his generation, and one of the best of all time.

Alves’ playing time dropped significantly in his first year at Juventus. He consistently played over 2000 league minutes at Barcelona, but saw fewer than 1347 minutes this season. He scored two goals, his usual output. But his assist tally continued to decline, down to two after a steady decline from 15 in 2010/11.

Alves played most his games this season when Juventus lined up in a 3-5-2. Antonio Conte will likely shift Chelsea to a 3-5-2 next year, depending in large part on how Chelsea resolves their striker situation.

Among Chelsea’s options for a second striker, Eden Hazard would partner best with Dani Alves. Hazard’s free-ranging movement and deft ball control would give Chelsea a hint of the Alves-Messi partnership that defined Barcelona for so many years. The link-up potential between Alves and Hazard, alone, would rattle opponents and justify the transfer.

At age 34, Alves will not be starting many more games than he did this season, whether he is at Juventus or Chelsea. He would compete with Victor Moses for the starting XI spot, but neither would own the role. They would be much more likely to split the responsibility depending on the opponent.

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That Victor Moses supposedly caught Barcelona’s eye in January was the first indication that the transfer rumour mill would eventually catch up to Conte’s innovation. Dani Alves is the gold standard for the modern wing-back, and Chelsea would pull off a massive coup to acquire him. It’s a good rumour, but will remain little more than that.

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