Alves future on the agenda

Andoni Zubizarreta has one urgent piece of business to address at present: the future of Andrés Iniesta and Gerard Piqué. Dani Alves is the next name on the agenda. Though his contract also expires in 2015, his age and standing in the squad mean he is not in the same boat as the Spanish duo.

Alves will turn 32 in 2015, an age that makes any club think twice about offering a player a new contract, particularly one as well paid as the Brazilian. Though he has made a huge contribution since joining from Sevilla and his ability isn't in doubt, the amount of football he has played has placed his body under an enormous amount of strain.

On his day, though, Alves remains one of the world's top right-backs and he should be able to keep going for some time yet, even if he never reaches the heights of old.

Another important factor worth bearing in mind is that Alves is close friends with Messi and, as a Brazil international, also gets on extremely well with Neymar. Were any tension to develop between Barça's big guns, his intervention could be crucial in restoring dressing-room harmony.

Working against Alves are his age and saleability. The former Sevilla man has always been coveted by big European clubs and the release clause in his current contract – which started off at €150 million and has been dropping by €25m every year – stands to fall to €50m in its last year. This will make the Brazilian an attractive proposition if his contract is allowed to run down.

Martín Montoya's development is another interesting side plot. The Barça youth product is pushing hard for a place, but needs minutes and has yet to make his debut in Tato Martino's first five competitive matches in charge.