The Austrian defender will join the Spanish giants when his deal with Bayern Munich ends on June 30.
Real Madrid have signed David Alaba from Bayern Munich
Real Madrid have reached a deal with David Alaba, who will play for Los Blancos next season. The Austrian defender will join the Spanish giants when his deal with Bayern Munich ends on June 30. He negotiated a four-year contract, with a salary close to €11 million a year, in an offer made at the club’s offices in Valdebebas. The Bayern Munich defender has been free to negotiate since January 1. Real Madrid has not spent a second trying to strike a deal with the European champion as quickly as possible. The 28-year-old has been chased by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Manchester City, PSG, Liverpool and Chelsea all registering an interest.
The Austrian rejected three offers from Bayern Munich
David Alaba has already shown interest in playing in LaLiga. And after ten seasons with Bayern Munich, he was not afraid to run down his contract in Germany. Bayern Munich made three offers to Alaba in the past few months. But club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge acknowledged that negotiations were over in November. “We had a lot of negotiations with his agent Pini Zahavi. There were a final consultation and a propose with a deadline in October. So our proposal was not accepted, and our president withdrew it,” Rummenigge explained. “We did everything we could to reach an agreement, he just had to accept, but it didn’t work.”
From that point on, Bayern resigned, losing their versatile defender and allowing him to negotiate with other clubs. Many players who make their way through the youth ranks feel underappreciated at Bayern. And so was Alaba, who spent just six months away from Munich during the 2011 loan spell with Hoffenheim.
Alaba is ranked as one of the best defenders in Europe
After winning all there is to win last season, Alaba accepted Real Madrid’s offer, which matched a previous offer made just a few seasons ago. Since then, the Spanish side has followed him, tracking him as he did not renew his deal in Germany. In Madrid, signing the defender for free is a deal that allows them to afford his wages despite their tight economic constraints to balance the books since the start of the pandemic. With 408 appearances, 32 goals and 49 assists helping Bayern win 25 titles, including two Champions League win and nine Bundesliga wins, Alaba is ranked as one of the best defenders in Europe. He is physically powerful, with good ball technique and is capable of playing centrally, on the left or even in midfield.
Real Madrid have been following the market for centre-back now. Including Pau Torres from Villarreal and Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos from Sevilla. With Sergio Ramos at age 34 and uncertainty about his future, waiting if he accepts an offer one season on €13 million net, or two seasons 10 per cent less. It makes Alaba a key signing, especially with Raphael Varane’s contract up in June 2022, alongside Nacho Fernandez. The €50 million spent on Eder Militao in 2019 is not yet justified but indicates an investment in a trusted player like Alaba. These motives made Alaba a top priority for the club to strengthen in the central defence and the left, where Marcelo is on the decline, and only Ferland Mendy provides cover.