Bayern Munich all but confirm David Alaba exit, with Real Madrid and Chelsea reportedly waiting

The David Alaba sweepstakes are only just getting started, and Chelsea are reportedly in the thick of it already, with some quarters even claiming that we are the “favorites” for the free agent-to-be defender’s signature.

That status, which now seems inevitable, is what makes this transfer so enticing — despite Alaba’s mammoth wage demands — with Bayern Munich, no doubt, feeling some regret over losing such an important player for free (or at a reduced price if he leaves in January). The club apparently gave their maximum effort to convince the 28-year-old to stay, if club chief, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is to be believed, but no agreement has been reached, and Alaba will in all likelihood depart within the next two transfer windows.

“Bayern did everything we could to try and reach an agreement. We had a lot of conversations, but we wanted answers from him by the end of October. This didn’t happen and I don’t know if we’ll return to the negotiations. What I want to be clear about is that our offer showed exactly how much we value him, but he didn’t accept it.”

“I don’t know anything about the Real Madrid rumors.”

- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge; source: Daily Mail

Alongside Chelsea, Real Madrid have been one of the favorites for Alaba’s signature, but as Diario AS point out, Los Blancos cannot currently meet his salary demands of €12m net, especially as they’re also negotiating Sergio Ramos’ contract renewal — although Alaba could become a possibility if those extension talks break down.

This does appear to put Chelsea at the front of the queue, at least in principle if nothing else.