Real Madrid have reportedly reached an agreement with David Alaba, who was also a target for Barcelona, over a Bosman move this summer.
According to Sky Sports journalist Max Bielefeld, David Alaba is on the verge of joining Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer transfer window. The Bayern Munich star has reached an agreement over a five-year deal, and has snubbed Barcelona in favour of their bitter rivals.
Alaba has enjoyed a glorious decade-long spell with Bayern Munich, winning every trophy they have contested for in this period at least twice. Over the course of his stint with the German giants, the 28-year-old has amassed 427 appearances while chipping in with 33 goals and 53 assists.
In particular, though, he has impressed with his versatility, having played as a left-back, a centre-back and a central midfielder while at Bayern. Heading into the summer transfer window, though, Alaba is set to become a free agent after failing to reach an agreement over a new deal, with his current contract running out at the end of the season. This situation alerted Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Real Madrid hold a long-standing interest in Alaba, having been linked with him on a few occasions previously as well. Ahead of the 2021/22 season, however, the need to sign someone like Alaba has never been as urgent, with Los Blancos in the market for a centre-back as well as a left-back, owing to the uncertain futures of Marcelo, Raphael Varane and captain Sergio Ramos.
To that end, Alaba is one of the priorities for Real Madrid, as per widespread reports, with rumours suggesting since months that they had a verbal agreement in place to sign him. However, the entry of Barcelona into the picture following Joan Laporta’s election as their new president complicated matters.
The Catalan giants’ interest in Alaba is not unfounded, though, despite the fact that they appear set to sign Eric Garcia from Manchester City. Indeed, Garcia is viewed as a long-term successor for Gerard Pique, but the fact that Samuel Umtiti is being tipped to be offloaded by Barcelona this coming summer means they could do with another centre-back.
Furthermore, with Junior Firpo having question marks surrounding his future at Camp Nou, Alaba could perhaps, have been a solution for the left-back slot as well. However, Barcelona are now set to face defeat in pursuit of the Bayern Munich star, with Real Madrid reaching an agreement to sign him this summer.
Max Bielefeld has reported that Alaba has agreed a five-year contract with Real Madrid, with the deal set to be officially signed in the coming weeks. As for Barcelona, they no longer remain an option for the 28-year-old, meaning they must quickly turn their attention towards alternatives, with Alessio Romagnoli among those linked. Real Madrid, though, have seemingly won the race to sign Alaba.