CHELSEA WANT DANI ALVES
Shock move for Juve star
CHELSEA are weighing up a shock swoop for Dani Alves after being offered the Juventus defender.
The 34- year- old is preparing for tonight’s Champions League final in Cardiff, where victory would secure a historic treble in his first season at the Serie A giants.
But despite being just one win away from landing his fourth Champions League winner’s medal, Alves has an uncertain future in Turin.
Sportsmail understands Alves is interesting Blues manager Antonio Conte after being made aware of the former Barcelona man’s potential availability this summer.
Manchester City and Tottenham are also keeping tabs on any movement regarding Alves’s future.
Conte wants competition for Victor Moses at right wing-back — a role Alves knows well from working with Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus.
While linking up with former manager Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium may appeal to Alves, the chance of joining the Premier League champions — and living in London — is likely to excite him.
Alves has 12 months to run on his current deal in Italy.
REAL MADRID will launch their pursuit of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea next week. Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane wanted the club to keep the issue on the back-burner as his own goalkeeper Keylor Navas prepares for the Champions League final against Juventus this evening.
The French coach has as been determined to avoid any distractions as Madrid seek to become the first side to retain the Champions League trophy.
The Spanish club are yet to make a formal bid for De Gea but the player has been made aware that an offer will be forthcoming this summer.
The process will begin after tonight’s final, with Madrid keen to avoid a repeat of 2015, where the move collapsed at the end of the window.
De Gea’s Manchester United contract expires in 2019 and the Old Trafford club also have the option to extend that deal by a further year so are in a very strong position to resist any bid. Manchester City’s £ 35m purchase of Benfica goalkeeper Ederson has also had the effect of inflating the market, and Madrid now fear that United may demand in excess of £70million for De Gea. Madrid are under pressure to increase the number of Spain internationals in their starting team and the United No 1 is seen as an ideal long- term solution. United remain confident that the Spanish goalkeeper will stay at Old Trafford and as things stand, the player does not intend to force a move. He has, however, been frustrated by United’s level of performance in the Premier League and was also disappointed to miss out on a starting place in the Europa League semifinal and final.
He told friends last August that he expected United to challenge for the Premier League title following the signings of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and hoped for more in Jose Mourinho’s first season at the club.
It does, however, help United that De Gea is assured of Champions League football next season and he is far more content under Mourinho than he was with previous boss Louis van Gaal, where relations were strained.
Nevertheless, should Madrid make an offer that forces United’s hand, De Gea will choose to return home to the Spanish capital after seven years in England.