According to Spanish publication AS, Chelsea are confident that they can take pole position in the race to sign David Alaba on a free transfer when they table their pre-contract offer in January.
AS suggest that it’s currently unlikely that the world-class defender will re-sign with Bayern Munich, which is hardly surprising after the third round of contract talks proved to be unsuccessful a month ago.
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With AS reporting that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus are all keen on Alaba, it’s added that Chelsea believe their pre-contract offer in January will thrust them into pole position.
It’s actually also claimed that Frank Lampard supports the operation to sign Alaba, with the Austrian superstar seen as a centre-back option and someone that could also cover Ben Chilwell at left-back.
It’s suggested that Marina Granovskaia, Chelsea’s famed negotiator and chief, will not do anything crazy with the January offer, but will make it clear that the Blues aren’t bluffing.
Alaba being represented by Pini Zahavi, as well as the clear fact that Chelsea are one of the only sides capable of flexing their financial power in the midst of the pandemic, could be a perfect recipe.
The MailOnline reported some time ago that Zahavi holds close ties with Chelsea, including a relationship with Roman Abramovich, as he helped broker that takeover 17 years ago.
Alaba has now been linked widely with all of the world’s biggest clubs, which is really no surprise as it’s very rare that a defender – who would be considered to be in his prime years – is available on a free.
The Express claim that Manchester United are also in the running for the 28-year-old, with Football Insider reporting adding that reigning Premier League champions Liverpool are also keen.
Alaba recently defended himself in a pre-match press conference before a Champions League game in an effort to clarify that he wasn’t demanding the astronomical salary reported in the media.
The Athletic claimed that the 75-cap Austria international wants £400,000-a-week on a five-year deal, demands that even the biggest clubs would struggle to justify in the current climate.
Alaba’s been a staple of Bayern for around a decade now, his next appearance will be his 400th, the ace has now solidified himself as a centre-back after emerging into stardom as a left-back.
Alaba has even experienced some time as a defensive midfielder during his time in Bavaria, the star’s versatility – which has always been combined with quality consistency – make him a prized asset.