Manchester United target Dani Alves: Barcelona defender 'close to signing with another club'

Barcelona star Dani Alves, who is reportedly a target of Manchester United, is "close to signing with another club", according to agent Dinorah Santana.

The Brazil international moved from Sevilla to the Camp Nou in the summer of 2008 after the Catalans paid £23.5m ($36.3m) to secure his services. But even though he is still a regular player for manager Luis Enrique, the club looks ready to let him go for free.

Alves only has four months remaining on his current contract at the La Liga giants and his agent recently revealed she was looking a new club for his client as they understood Barcelona did not want him to stay because they had not made an approach regarding a new deal.

At the end of February, Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu claimed they were yet to decide whether to offer Alves a new deal despite the fact, with his contract set to expire this summer, he has been free to negotiate a move elsewhere since January.

"We are already planning next year with Rexach and Braida [sporting directors] and other officials. They are working. I don't know whether Alves will renew his contract, we will have time to discuss that. I don't know if he will stay but we cannot registered players until January 1, 2016," Bartomeu said to Spanish Radio Station RNE.

Earlier in the season, the 31-year-old defender revealed his intention to put an end to his spell at Barcelona this summer to move to the Premier League, while in February Spanish newspaper Sport claimed his agent was set to fly to England to meet with Manchester United's officials as manager Louis van Gaal was interested in having him at Old Trafford.

The Dutch boss has reportedly earmarked the signing of right-back, along with a midfielder, to replace out-of-favour defender Rafael, with Alves, Everton's Seamus Coleman and Porto star Danilo among the candidates.

While Arsenal, Liverpool and Serie A giants Juventus are also reportedly monitoring Alves's situation, Santana has revealed to Catalan radio station RAC1 that the Brazilian is close to agreeing terms with a team other than Barcelona. She said: "We're close to signing with another club, the talks are advanced."

Meanwhile, Santana revealed her disappointment at Barcelona's refusal to offer the defender a new deal and appeared to hand the Catalans an ultimatum.

"Barça? Dani is always available but he won't wait much longer," she said. "They're making Dani look like the baddie in this movie."