David Alaba has been allowed to negotiate a pre-contract with any club he is interested in joining when the January transfer window opens. The Austrian defender’s contract expires in June 2021, and he will be available for free, with negotiations that could start in a little over a week.
According to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the Chairman of Bayern Munich’s Board of Directors, Bayern Munich have decided to stop pursuing a contract extension for Alaba.
“Bayern did everything possible to reach an agreement,” Rummenigge explained. “We had many conversations but we wanted an answer from him by the end of October.
“It didn’t happen and now I don’t know whether we’ll resume negotiations. What I want to make clear is that our offer reflected how much we want him, but he didn’t accept it.”
Rummenigge was asked whether Madrid could be Alaba’s destination but refused to engage in speculation. “I don’t know about the rumours,” he said. “He’s free to negotiate with whoever he wants from January 1st.”
David Alaba has been at Bayern Munich for a decade and has won every trophy available with the Bavarian Giants. Much like Thiago Alcantara this summer, a new challenge seems to be on the mind of the 28-year-old.
Various sources have spoken about the defender’s future, with a common agreement on the fact that he would prefer to join Barcelona or Real Madrid. Chelsea were also thrown into the mix, and look like one of the more realistic options for the defender considering his wage demands and the rocky financial condition at both Spanish clubs.
Alaba started out playing at the left-back position, but has now moved into the centre-back role following the emergence of Alphonso Davies. Considering the importance of a ball-playing centre-back in the modern game, the fact that Alaba will depart from Bayern for free will surely come as a blow to the Germans.
However, it could be the steal of the year for whoever manages to sign the player.
