Real Madrid close to finalizing free transfer for David Alaba — reports

David Alaba is set to leave Bayern Munich, and Chelsea have been one of the many clubs linked with signing the defender on a free transfer in the summer. While he was (is?) said to prefer a move to Spain, both Real Madrid and Barcelona have been dealing with their own financial problems.

However, according to Marca, Real have found a way to circumvent these issues, and are now close to finalizing a deal for the 28-year-old. Los Blancos want to get this done as soon as possible to avoid competition for the player’s signature later on.

They have reportedly offered him a four-year contract worth a little over €10m (net) per season. The high wages should certainly make Alaba happy — the lack of a transfer fee allowing Real to sweeten the deal for the player himself. Zinedine Zidane has also apparently given his blessing for the move, with Alaba’s versatility no doubt making him an enticing player for any coach.

Fabrizio Romano is reporting on similar lines as well, albeit with a more cautious tone, as he explains that while Alaba would love to join, a deal hasn’t been completed yet — though Real Madrid are set to push for doing so in the next few days.

Despite the advantageous situation brought on by his impending contract expiry, Chelsea’s interest in Alaba never appeared to be that concrete in the first place, with the Blues looking elsewhere in all likelihood in order to reinforce the backline.