Inspired by Danny Alvarez's return to Barcelona, we're looking at 10 other players who made shock switches back to their former clubs let's start at the camp nou with the legendary right back.
Danny Alves
If Xavi's appointment as Barcelona manager feels like reaching for lost glory days, his first signing is even more nostalgic. 38 year old Danny Alves who left the club in 2016 will return to the blau grana in January on a six-month deal. Bringing high standards 43 winners medals and a love of the club which he showed on his presentation to the fans by taking off his flip-flops to fill the turf of the Camp Nou under his feet once again.
Alves spent eight years with Barca earning a piece of silverware every 17 games, including six titles and three champions leagues along with an incredible 21 goals and 101 assists in just under 400 appearances. Output he has maintained at Sao paulo contributing to the scoresheets every four matches. However he also plays in the most demanding role on the field has 999 games under his belt for clubbing country and hardly fills a position of need for the Catalans.
With Sergio Roberto and Serginio dest available in the right-back slots, Xavi will hope Alvarez can lift the dressing room and placing an 84 million pound buyout clause in the Brazilians contract is a clear sign of respect. Even if he can't save bahasa he'll at least fight for the badge.
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry may be french but he belongs to north London, the iconic forward only won two titles in his long career with Arsenal but left a permanent mark on the English game. Finishing as the division's top scorer four times between 2001 and 2006 and setting a record for assists which still stands today. An incredible 20 in one campaign. But despite delivering a goal or assist every 91 minutes in London, Henry never added continental silverware to his cabinets and it took a move to Barcelona to lift the Champions league, the last trophy missing in a career which included the European championships and a world cup.
From there then 33 years old he went on to New York Red Bulls and seemed settled in for a comfortable twilight spent courtside at knicks games and humiliating Yanks on astro turf. But incredibly in January 2012, the king returned to Arsenal arriving on a two-month loan deal to cover for the afghan-bound gervinho and marouane chamac and taking the number 12 with his old 14 then assigned to Theo Walcott.
In one of the great modern moments of English football, Henry netted the winner on his second debut against leads, lifting the roof off the emirates and peeling away to celebrate with Arsene Wenger. He added one more before he left again, a final gift from the most gifted of them all.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
When Zlatan Ibrahimovic cancelled his contract at Manchester United in march 2018, it looked close to the end for the legendary Swedish forward a serious acl injury had derailed his prosperous 18-month stint in english football. At age 37 a move to La Galaxy looked like an appropriate next step for the damaged Veteran.
But in typical Zlatan fashion the malmo youth products found a new lease of life in America. A 45-yard strike on his debut against LAFC was followed by a stunning 53 goals in 58 Mls appearances. Twice earning a spot in the division's all-star 11.
Ibrahimovic was so prolific Ac Milan agreed to hand him a six-month deal in december 2019, reuniting the pair after over seven years apart. The move initially seemed desperate from Milan considering the forward's age but their gamble paid off as 31 goals and 4.4 shots per 90 later and the scadetto is well within the Rosineris grasp.
Aged 40 Ibrahimovic has even returned to the Swedish national side too get them to Qatar and his stunning legacy will be complete