Real Madrid announced the signing of David Alaba on Friday, with the versatile Austrian joining on a free deal from Bayern Munich as his contract was about to expire on June 30. Real Madrid confirmed the signing on Friday evening but said Alaba would be unveiled after Euro 2020. His arrival at Real Madrid comes just one day after manager Zinedine Zidane resigned following a trophyless 2020-21 season. Alaba had confirmed his decision to leave Bayern in a news conference in February. He admitted earlier this month that leaving Bayern was a difficult decision but the Austrian 'wants to move out of the 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.
On the other hand David has admitted that he only had eyes for Los Blancos. Alaba had been at Bayern since 2008 but turned down multiple offers to extend his contract, including a deal of more than €15M a year, but talks ceased in November. The Austria international had also been attracting interest from Premier League sides, including Liverpool and Manchester City. City tried to lure Alaba to Manchester last summer and had hoped to include him as part of the deal which saw Leroy Sane move to Munich. With club captain Sergio Ramos also approaching the twilight of his career — and nearing the end of his own contract — a player of Alaba's calibre and experience could prove to be a shrewd signing for the club.
The announcement of Real Madrid was as follows: “Real Madrid C. F. has reached an agreement with David Alaba for the player to join the club for the next five seasons. David Alaba will be unveiled as a new Real Madrid player after the end of the 2021 European Championship.”
Alaba told Bild: "I wasn't approached by many clubs, but Real Madrid were at the top of my list. Like Bayern Munich, they are one of the biggest clubs in the world, with a special history and tradition. There have been so many great players in Real Madrid's history and so many great victories and trophies... I want to join and continue this successful story with the club and the fans. It will be a new chapter in life for my family and for me. I want to develop personally and professionally, and that's precisely why I'm coming to Madrid."
The 28-year-old Austrian international is a vastly experienced player and boasts an impressive record at the top level of European football which has seen him pick up 28 trophies, including two Champions Leagues, two Club World Cups, two European Super Cups and 10 Bundesliga titles. He made 431 appearances for Bayern Munich, which made him the foreign player with the most appearances in the club's history. Alaba has also been named in the UEFA Team of the Year three times and has been voted Austria's player of the year seven times, and will play in the forthcoming European Championship for his country. The new Madrid signing is a versatile defender, who is comfortable at centre-back or left-back, but can also play in centre-midfield. After starting his career with SV Aspern and Austria Vienna, Alaba joined Bayern in the summer of 2008, making his debut at the age of 17. Before he earned a first-team place, he briefly played for Hoffenheim in the 2010/11 season. Apart from possessing defensive attributes like strength and pace, he is also a very technical player and is a fine striker of the ball from free-kicks. Alaba scored 33 goals for Bayern Munich.
Alaba is determined to replicate the success he enjoyed at Bayern in a Real Madrid shirt, following on from the long list of those before him that have achieved silverware at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Similarly to Bayern, there is pressure to win all the time at Real Madrid, something the defender recognized. "It's also about winning every game, winning as many trophies as possible every year. I've internalized the winning mentality and thirst for trophies at Bayern. You need that at Real Madrid and I want to bring that, as well as my experience and my qualities on the pitch...", Alaba stated.
Signing one of the world's best defenders for a free transfer could be considered a bargain. However, Real have broken the bank to pay his wages. According to Sport 1's Florian Plettenberg, per Raphael Honigstein, Alaba has signed a five-year contract and will earn £412,000-per-week. That makes him one of the world's highest-paid players. Alaba has become this way Real's third highest earning player, behind Bale and Hazard.
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