Alves coy on Barca contract renewal

BARCELONA - Barcelona defender Dani Alves has played down the importance of renewing his contract with the Spanish league leader, saying on Monday "life will go on" if the two sides fail to agree to terms.

The 27-year-old Brazil international's contract runs out in June 2012 and renewal talks have dragged on amid reports of a possible move to Manchester City.

Sports daily Mundo Deportivo reported last month that Alves turned down the chance of a contract extenstion to 2015 that would have placed him in the same wage bracket as teammates like captain Carles Puyol.