Transfer News: Real Madrid agree four-year deal to sign David Alaba

Real Madrid have made a breakthrough in the pursuit of David Alaba, with the Bayern Munich star reportedly set to sign a four-year contract with Los Blancos.

A massive update from Fabrizio Romano, regarding the transfer saga of David Alaba, suggest that the future Bayern Munich star has already been decided. Writing for The Guardian, the Italian transfer expert claims that the player has agreed to join Real Madrid in a four-year deal, amid interest from a host of top clubs across Europe including Liverpool.

A contract rebel at Bayern for quite some time now, Alaba has been the biggest prize of this January transfer window, with his contract in Bavaria expiring at the end of the season. The Bundesliga giants have repeatedly failed in their attempts to tie the defender down to a new contract, thus allowing Real Madrid to strike a deal that would see him arrive at Santiago Bernabeu for free this summer.

This breakthrough should serve as a major boost for Real Madrid, especially following the uncertainty surrounding Sergio Ramos’ future. The veteran centre-back is reportedly unhappy with the terms he is being offered, with Paris Saint-Germain ready to pounce on the opportunity to secure his services.

The potential departure of Ramos could have created a massive void in the club’s defensive unit. With Eder Militao still a work in progress, it could have left Zinedine Zidane with just one reliable defensive option in Raphael Varane. The addition of Alaba, in that regard, could add some much-needed steel in the Los Blancos backline.

The Austrian international bags a lot of experience at the highest level of football, which could be useful in his bid to settle into life at the Bernabeu. He is also a former teammate of Toni Kroos at Bayern Munich and the relationship between the two could potentially make things much easier for the Bayern Munich defender.

For Real Madrid’s rivals, however, the failed pursuit of Alaba could be a blow, especially for Liverpool who are actively looking for a quality centre-back following the ACL injury of Virgil van Dijk. In addition to the Dutchman, Jurgen Klopp has also struggled with the absence of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip this season, thus further emphasising the need for a new defender.

As for Bayern, the potential departure of Alaba now puts them in a perilous situation, especially with Jerome Boateng’s contract also coming to an end. It leaves the Bavarians with Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernandez as only two reliable options in central defence. However, to Liverpool’s misfortune, it could pave the way for them to prioritise a move for another Reds’ target in Dayot Upamecano this summer.