3) Dani Alves
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Juventus always get that one signing right in the transfer window and although they paid a record fee of £75.3m to trigger Gonzalo Higuain’s release clause at Napoli, the Serie A’s top goalscorer in the 2015/16 season was not their best signing of the summer.
In fact, it was the arrival of Dani Alves from Barcelona. The 33-year-old Brazilian, considered one of the greatest right-backs in recent years, had won 23 trophies with the Catalan club and the higher-ups at the Camp Nou had decided his services were no longer required. How wrong they proved to be.
While Juve recognised what they were getting when they realised he was available for free, Barcelona have suffered this season and the lack of a top quality attacking right-back has been one of their biggest weaknesses. In contrast, Alves has been one of Juve’s key players on the right and has played both as a right-back and a wing-back depending on the formation Max Allegri employed in various games this season.
A defining image of the season shows Alves consoling an inconsolable Neymar as Juventus knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League. The Italian club had managed to accomplish a rare feat – keep two clean sheets against Barcelona – and Alves had played a key role in both games.
Even in the semi-finals, it was his two assists for Higuain that saw Juventus score two away goals against Monaco, setting them up to qualify for yet another final. With a two-year deal in place and an option of a third year, Alves could well finish his career in Europe with the Turin club.
