David Alaba joins Real Madrid for free from Bayern Munich on a five-year deal with defender set to be unveiled as a Los Blancos player after Euro 2020
David Alaba‘s move from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid has been confirmed, with the Austrian defender signing a five-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 28-year-old has been at the German giants for 13 years but will leave Bayern on a free transfer after making 431 appearances and winning 27 trophies with the club.
Alaba’s move was confirmed by the Spanish side on Friday but will be presented as a Real player after he finishes Austria’s Euro 2020 campaign.
Bayern Munich defender David Alaba’s move to Real Madrid has been confirmed
The Austrian moves to Spain having played over 400 times for Bayern and won 27 trophies
The Austrian played a key role in Bayern winning yet another Bundesliga title this season, playing 32 out of their 34 league matches at centre-back.
Alaba, who can also play in central midfield and at left-back, has helped the Bavarian club win the last nine Bundesliga titles – while he also has two Champions League medals to his name, the most recent coming in 2020.
He admitted earlier this month that leaving Bayern was a difficult decision but the Austrian ‘wants to move out of my comfort zone’.
Alaba told Bayern’s official website: ‘It’s always difficult when something comes to an end and it’s no secret that I’ve always really felt at home here.
Alaba (right) won two Champions Leagues at Bayern but wants to move out of his comfort zone
‘Obviously, I’m leaving Bayern with a tear in my eye but also looking forward to my future at the same time.
‘It wasn’t a decision against the club, but I decided I’d like to do something new and take another step forward.
‘To grow, you have to leave your ‘comfort zone’ – and I deliberately put that word in quotation marks because it could possibly be misunderstood.
Alaba has been at Bayern for 13 years having come through the academy at the Bavarian club
‘At Bayern, the expectations on the pitch are always extreme from the management, in the dressing room or from yourself. I think that perhaps you have to go into the unknown to be able to mature again.’
The defender moves to the Spanish capital despite Real not having a manager, following Zinedine Zidane’s resignation from the club earlier this week.
Alaba’s arrival in Madrid raises speculation over the future of current Los Blancos defender Raphael Varane, who has been strongly linked with a £60million exit from the club.
Alaba’s move to Real raises speculation over £60m-rated defender Raphael Varane (above)
Real are currently in ‘financial crisis’, according to a recent statement by LaLiga president Javier Tebas, with Varane’s potential exit and Alaba’s arrival appearing to be one way of saving money whilst remaining competitive.
According to Spanish news outlet Marca, Madrid’s loss of revenue streams – including matchday sales and broadcast money – have lead to huge losses, and the club is anticipating a loss of around £135m next season if games are played behind closed doors.
Varane, who has just a year left on his Real contract, has been linked with a move to Chelsea or Manchester United after a decade of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu.
