Getty Dani Alves has announced his departure.
Dani Alves has only just announced he will be leaving Barcelona for a second time but the club have already decided who will take over his No. 8 shirt at the Camp Nou next season.
Teenage midfielder Pedri will wear the iconic jersey from the start of the 2022-23 campaign, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. Alves had already promised the 19-year-old the iconic shirt number, which used to be worn by Andres Iniesta, even before his departure.
“Yes, I told him I would leave him the ‘8’. I read in an interview that he said he liked the number 8 and I talked to the people at club, that next season if they want it, I can take it, if I stay, of course,” he said back in April. “If I leave, they can keep it directly. If they want it, it’s theirs, but there’s only one mission, they have to defend it very well, because this shirt has been worn by very great people, very special, especially for me, like Iniesta or Hristo…they are people who have done a lot for and for this club. The numbers must be defended and respected as they should, they have a story behind them, for those who have honored this club.”
Pedri has also previously made it clear he wants the famous shirt. “I’ve always liked the number 8,” he admitted while on international duty with Spain back in March, as reported by Diario AS.
The midfielder has also hinted at taking over the No. 8 when he unveiled his new website with the domain name “pedrigonzalez8.es.” Pedri currently wears the No. 16 at Barcelona.
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Where Next For Dani Alves?
Alves has already said goodbye to Barcelona in an emotional post on social media but it’s not clear yet where he will be playing his football next season. The 39-year-old has been offered to La Liga side Real Mallorca, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The veteran is thought to be eager to continue playing regularly, despite his advancing years, as he wants to make the Brazil squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.
The competition represents Alves’s final chance to try and win the World Cup with the Selecao. The right-back is the most decorated player in men’s football but has never lifted the famous Julet Rimet Trophy.
Pedri Picks Up Barcelona Awards
Meanwhile, there’s no doubt that there will be plenty of expectation on Pedri next season after another impressive campaign in 2021-22. The teenager missed a chunk of the season through injury but returned and played a key role in the team’s upturn in form.
Supporters have recognized his contribution and picked th Spain international as Barcelona’s MVP for last season in an online vote on the club’s official website. Pedri’s goal against Sevilla was also named the team’s Goal of the Season.
The teenager is also one of five Barcelona players nominated for the 2022 Golden Boy Award. Nico Gonzalez, Gavi, Ansu Fati, and Alejandro Balde have also been shortlisted for the trophy that Pedri won in 2021 with a record points margin.
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