Liverpool FC are reportedly eyeing a move for Bayern Munich defender David Alaba.
The Austrian international has just one year left on his existing contract with the Bundesliga giants. Bayern risks losing their player for free if they do not sell him this summer.
Alaba has been playing in the Bayern Munich shirt for ten years now. The 27-year old has made himself one of the fan-favourites at the Allianz Arena. He has made over 240 league appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, winning nine league titles in the run.
Failure to agree upon a new contract with Alaba would mean letting go of their long-serving player for free next summer. The player has so far resisted attempts from the Bayern management to be tied down a new long-term contract.
Alaba operated as the German side’s left-back in most of his time in Germany. However, with the rise of Alphonso Davis, the Austrian has been shifted to the centre-back position. The current season has seen Alaba operate as a left-sided centre-back alongside Niklas Sule.
Jurgen Klopp has several defensive options at his disposal in the current Reds squad. Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren are the current senior centre-backs for Liverpool FC.
Moreover, there is the highly-rated Dutch prospect Sep van de Berg in the Reds youth squad.
However, Lovren is widely tipped to leave the Merseyside club at the end of the 2019-20 season. The Croatian international was very close to joining AS Roma last summer. However, at Klopp’s insistence, Lovren extended his stay at Anfield for one more year. The former Southampton man has made very limited appearances this season for the Reds.
Signing Alaba would be a great decision for Klopp due to the Austrian being of the most versatile players in world football. Alaba can operate as a centre-back, left-back, central midfielder or even a left-winger on some occasions. Moreover, the player has a rich level of experience of playing at the highest level and has won many laurels, including the Champions League.
The 27-year old Alaba should be available for a reasonable fee this summer. Moreover, with only one year remaining on his Bayern contract, Klopp will have the power to negotiate a cheaper fee for the player.
Besides Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC have also been believed to be interested in signing Alaba.
