According to Spanish Outlet “Marca”, David Alaba have signed an agreement with Real Madrid, as he is set to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires at Bayern. It will not be the first time for Bayern to lose a superstar to Real Madrid that cheaply. But what do that mean to them exactly? And do Real really need him at the moment?
Breaking Down The Deal
Both Christian Falk and Fabrizio Romano, two of the most reliable reporters, tweeted the news but without really confirming it. For those who know Falk, he always uses the “True Tick” to confirm a news.
Based on these reports, The Austrian has signed a 4 year contract with the Spanish club worth €11m per year. If reports are true, then Madrid were able to “steal” another player from Bayern and not just any player. For Bayern fans, Alaba was more than that, he’s one of the rare players that came from the youth system and were able to integrate the first team on a high note. Making over 350 appearances so far for the club, winning a record nine league titles and two UEFA Champions League in what were record years for Bayern as they won the treble as well. Alaba is set to say goodbye to the club he joined since 2010.
Bayern Munich Perspective
For the Die Roten, basically they had two choices to make. Either grant Alaba his wish and increase his wages to match the one’s of Lewandowski, Neuer and Muller who are considered the big names at the club, or play hard ball and risk to lose him on a free, which is the case at the moment.
Financially, Bayern are one of the top clubs in the world and are more than capable to increase a player’s wages while agreeing a new contract, especially someone as important as Alaba. However, there are also fears that agreeing to that deal will cause a negative impact on the other players and will damage Bayern’s public image. The whole scenario is a deja vu for Bayern fans when they faced the same problem with Kroos as well.
However, Bayern’s determination to stick with their wage bills should be justified, even if it meant losing players that way, since it helps to clarify the club’s vision instead of bowing down to players demands. On the other hand, Bayern should look at these scenarios and learn to start negotiating new deals before the last minute. They found themselves in similar situations with Lewandowski and Neuer until they were able to find a breakthrough in the deals. As for Alaba, perhaps the club does not see him as important as the other “big” players, after all they did spend a record breaking amount to sign Lucas Hernandez as he could be the potential replacement for Alaba if he left. Furthermore, there was no agreement whatsoever between the club and Alaba’s agent Pini Zahavi, as he was seen greedy for trying to get a higher precentage in the deal for himself.
Where does Alaba fit at Real Madrid?
Currently, all defense positions at Madrid are occupied, so the question is: Do they reall need him at the moment? There is no doubt that any club would want to have Alaba, a versatile player that proved himself in different positions during the years. However, where would he fit at Madrid? Is he a long term replacement to Sergio Ramos? or Marcelo maybe? Does he see himself playing defensive midfielder? One of the reasons many believed he wants to leave Bayern for, as the club preferred Kimmich in that role. However, knowing Zidane’s admiration for Casemiro, I doubt Alaba would have a chance to replace him there.
So what is the plan for Alaba exactly? Will he accept the bench role and wait for his opportunity? A player of his caliber, coming from a huge club where he won 2 historic treble should not accept that! If he is still trying to pursue his career as a midfielder he should also look to move elsewhere.
Alaba is at the peak of his career, it’s a shame to see him ruining it just to follow a higher income. Although many reports suggested that his dream was always to play for the Los Blancos, however there is no current vacancy for him, unless Zidane have another plan we don’t know about yet. That being said, I also doubt Real would be able to offer him his wage demands, as all the clubs are currently struggling due to the covid-19.
Conclusion
Nothing is official yet, we could speculate as much as we want until the clubs confirm these reports. Nonetheless, it will hurt to see Alaba leave from his boyhood club, especially that way. We should also wait for Flick to address the news as well, since he will be definitely asked about it in his pre match interview today. Some reports are also suggesting that Alaba could end up at Barca. They are still waiting for the presidential elections. However, Candidate Joan Laporta is a big supporter of a transfer to Barça. Liverpool could also sweep in and steal the deal. Klopp has always been a fan of Alaba. So where will David end up?
Despite everything, Alaba still has a season to finish at Bayern and he seems as engaged as ever.
Taking everything into consideration, what is the best solution for both Alaba and Bayern? Is it going to be easy to leave a club that made you the player you are today? And if so, will Madrid be a step up from Bayern for him? Feel free to leave your comments and opinions.
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