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Barcelona are “big favorites” to land David Alaba on a free transfer from Bayern Munich after the Bundesliga champions opted to withdraw the offer of a contract extension for the 28-year-old at the Allianz Arena.
Alaba will be a free agent in the summer and is expected to leave the club he joined back in 2008. Barcelona and Real Madrid lead the race to sign the 28-year-old Austria international, according to Sky in Germany.
The defender could also depart in the January transfer window but that looks unlikely as any clubs would have to pay a transfer fee and it would make more sense to simply wait until the summer.
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Bayern Discuss Alaba Future
Bayern Munich president, Herbert Hainer, spoke out about Alaba’s future amid mounting speculation he could leave the club he joined as a youngster. Hainer explained why the offer of a new contract has been withdrawn, as reported by the Guardian.
We hadn’t heard anything until yesterday. So Hasan Salihamidzic checked with the adviser again. The answer was that the offer is still unsatisfactory and we should think further [about it]. We decided to finish the offer and to take it off the table – that means there is no longer any offer.
The decision is a surprise given Alba is a key player for Bayern. He can play either as a left-back or at center-back and has enjoyed huge success after coming through the youth ranks at the club.
Alaba has won countless league and cup titles in Germany and has also lifted the European Cup twice with Bayern in 2013 and again in 2020.
Alaba Hits Back
The defender has responded to Bayern’s contract claims and made it clear he was surprised to hear the offer of a new contract no longer exists, as reported by the Mirror.
I heard it like everyone else on the news. I cannot say how it will continue from this point. I really enjoy playing for FC Bayern. I feel content and happy to be a part of this team. But what the future will look like after yesterday evening I just cannot say, as no one has talked to me officially. We’ll see how things go from here.
The way I’ve been portrayed over the last couple of months, the way Bayern want to portray me, I can understand fans are frustrated with me. I wish internal stuff would stay internal. If people depict me as the way Bayern Munich have, which isn’t true, I understand why people are frustrated. I can guarantee to every fan these numbers going through the media are false.
Barcelona are expected to strengthen their defense in the coming months. Manchester City defender Eric Garcia could return to the club in January, according to Sport.
Yet Barca could also be tempted by the prospect of being able to bring in such an experienced and versatile player as Alaba on a free.
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