Chelsea remain in the hunt to sign David Alaba from Bayern Munich, according to reliable journalist and transfer expert, Nicolo Schira.
A host of clubs including Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are keeping close tabs on his situation, while La Liga champions Real Madrid are also interested.
Schira claims (via Twitter) that both Chelsea and PSG have offered a three-year contract for Alaba and have opened talks with his agent, Pini Zahavi.
The 28-year-old – who is out of contract in the summer, free to talk to other clubs in January, and is yet to sign a new deal – is demanding a four-year deal with a salary of €15m/year.
Smart move from Chelsea
According to a recent report from Spanish newspaper AS, the Blues are frontrunners in the race to sign the Austrian defender.
He would be a cracking signing for the Blues. Here’s why:
a) Tactical aspect – Alaba is a versatile defender who can play as a left-sided centre-back, left-back, or as a midfielder. At Chelsea, he is likely to be used as a left-sided centre-back, who would add massive depth and quality to the side.
Furthermore, he can fill in for the first-choice Ben Chilwell at left-back, if and when he is unavailable.
b) Financial aspect – Alaba will join on a free transfer in 2021, and Chelsea can strike a pre-contract agreement as early as in January. They shouldn’t face any difficulty in agreeing to his wage demands, and all it requires is convincing him to make a switch to Stamford Bridge (Champions League qualification will help, and Chelsea look a good bet for that this season).
c) Undeniable quality – The 75-times capped international has been one of the key players for Hansi Flick’s Bayern side that won the treble last season. He has won 20 major trophies (including two Champions League titles) at Bayern Munich and would bring a wealth of experience to Frank Lampard’s squad.
However, with other European heavyweights vying for his signature, it will eventually come down to Alaba’s decision, and where (read as which league) he wants to try himself next.
