Why David Alaba would be a fantastic signing for Manchester United
According to Bild (h/t Mirror), Manchester United are said to be the latest club to put their names in the hat to sign David Alaba. The Bayern man whose contract expires at the end of the season has seen contract negotiations break down with the club.
This has resulted in a bevvy of European heavyweights lining up to agree on a pre-contract with him. Among those clubs are Manchester City, PSG, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool.
Profile
The 28-year-old Austrian defender started his youth career at SV Aspern in 2001 and moved to FK Austria Vienna in 2002. After 6 years in the youth setup, he joined Bayern Munich and was drafted into the youth side.
He rose through the ranks and was promoted to the first-team in 2010 but was loaned to TSG Hoffenheim in the same season. On his return, he was thrust into first-team action and he has not looked back since.
Alaba has had a hugely successful time at Munich, with 2 trebles to boast of along with countless league titles and domestic cups. So far, he has made 403 appearances for the Bavarian giants while scoring 32 and assisting 49 (source – Transfermarkt). He is also an experienced and vital member of the Austrian national team with 73 games and 14 goals to date.
Alaba can be the ultimate defensive signing for Man United
Manchester United have come a long way from lining up with the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Currently, they have a decent defensive pairing in Maguire and Lindelof but it is clear that they aren’t exactly world-class in any way. They are prone to the occasional howler that costs the team badly. We saw the effects at the end of last season as the club crashed out from three semi-final ties.
A defensive addition was the need for last summer yet the inability to clear fringe players resulted in the club not pursuing any player of that sort. However, with David Alaba, the club wouldn’t have to worry about any spiked transfer fee as they can just sign him for free on a pre-contract agreement in January.
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While Alaba may be a natural left-back, it is his capability to play in a left-sided centre-back role that would appeal to United. He was asked to play as centre-back last season by Hansi Flick to accommodate Alphonso Davies.
His addition to the backline would allow Maguire to shift to the right-sided centre-back role, which is his dominant side. Alaba comes with winning experience and leadership qualities, something which is in short supply at Old Trafford. United would be wise to move ahead of the reported clubs and seal the deal for him.