Alves' admiration for Bale - Brazilian likes Spurs ace to himself

Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012 by skysports.com

Alves' admiration for Bale - Brazilian likes Spurs ace to himself
Gareth Bale: Impressed Barcelona star Dani Alves with his performances for Spurs

Barcelona ace Dani Alves believes Tottenham star Gareth Bale would be a perfect signing for the Spanish giants.

Bale has been strongly linked with a move to the Camp Nou with the club watching the Welshman in action on several occasions this season.

Alves is a huge admirer of Bale believing they are similar players and he feels the 22-year-old's best position is at full-back rather than as a winger.

"He is a player I love to watch," Alves told The Independent.

"The idea Bale has of football is really quite similar to the Brazilian perspective.

"He is a full-back in the Brazilian style. In Europe they play more defensively so they tend to play him as a winger, but in my team he would be a full-back. He is a spectacular player.

"Bale is very good as a winger but I would have him at the back. At Barcelona he would be a full-back."

Alves insists Barcelona would only move for Bale if they thought he could fit into their style of play.

"Barca always sign players who they know will fit into the team," added Alves.

"It's never a case of, 'Oh he's playing well. People are talking about him a lot so let's sign him'.

"Barcelona look at everything. They ask themselves if the player can fit 'here, here and here' and if they decide that yes, he would fit 'there, there and there', then they make their move."

Premier League

Meanwhile, Alves, himself, refused to rule out a move to the Premier League in the future despite being happy at Barca.

"You always have to leave the doors open because we don't know what is going to happen tomorrow," continued .

"I am at the best club in the world but you stay open to things because in football you serve a purpose for as long as you are delivering and, if the coach no longer needs you, then you don't serve a purpose anymore and you have to look elsewhere."