Dani Alves has accomplished a lot during his illustrious tenure at the top of the game, but the iconic Brazilian defender regrets giving up the opportunity to join Manchester City in 2017.
At the time, one of the best full-backs in history was planning to leave Juventus after just one season in Turin, and he had several choices to explore as he planned his next steps.
A reunion with former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola in England was discussed, but Alves chose to stay in France and team up with fellow countryman Neymar in a memorable summer for the Parc des Princes faithful.
Alves, the most decorated player in history, won six titles in two seasons with PSG. He admits that if he could go back in time, he would have ended up in Manchester.
“I regret not returning to Manchester City [in 2017] to deal with Guardiola again. When you’re around people like him [Guardiola], who still finds a way out, it adds a lot to you. My disappointment is that I did not return to work with him. But not for PSG. The story of my time there was awesome,” Alves, who is now back in his hometown with Sao Paulo, said.
The summer of 2017 was a hectic one for Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. Since finishing his first season in English football without a trophy, the Catalan went on a shopping binge to bolster his squad.
Bernardo Silva, Ederson, Benjamin Mendy, and Danilo were all signed. Kyle Walker was sold for £50 million ($71 million) from Tottenham. He ended up taking the right-back spot that Alves should have taken. The Blues opting for an England international who is now hoping to help them win their first Champions League title.
