According to Guardian, David Alaba has been identified as a top target for Manchester City. The Bayern Munich defender reportedly leads the list of Pep Guardiola’s summer wishlist as the Premier League giants prepare for a massive overhaul after losing out on the league title to Liverpool this season.
In this article, however, we will discuss why Bayern Munich cannot afford to sell David Alaba this summer.
David Alaba’s success at Bayern Munich this season
Regarded as one of the best fullbacks in world football, Alaba has gone through a major development this season. While the Austrian international was still a regular member of the club’s Bundesliga campaign in this past season, most of his appearances came in central defence. This is primarily due to the emergence of Alphonso Davies.
The Canadian has emerged as one of the rising stars in Bundesliga. As a result, Alaba had to feature elsewhere, with Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernandez’s injury problems allowing Hansi Flick to deploy him at centre-back and the experienced Bayern Munich ace is yet to disappoint, having made 28 league appearances.
Indeed, Alaba built a solid defensive partnership alongside Jerome Boateng, Benjamin and Davies, helping the Bavarians seal their eighth successive Bundesliga title. The German giants are also one of the favourites to lift the Champions League, with Alaba, once again expected to play a crucial role.
Why Bayern Munich cannot afford to sell David Alaba
Alaba’s current contract in Bavaria expires at the end of next season, but the club must do everything they can to secure his services for a foreseeable future. Indeed, it is primarily due to their lack of depth in the defensive unit.
While Davies has emerged as an excellent solution at left-back, Bayern Munich have a dearth of options at centre-back. Boateng, in particular, is nearing the end of his career while Hernandez and Sule have struggled with injuries. The former has also been linked with a move away from Allianz Arena.
Although Bayern Munich have signed PSG whizkid Tanguy Kouassi this summer, it is Alaba, who could actually emerge as the club’s first-choice option at centre-back next season.
The Austrian international has the speed, as well as the technical prowess that has added another dimension to Flick’s defensive unit, which is now more capable of tracking the opposition from behind in the event of a counter-attack. Additionally, Alaba’s impeccable positional sense makes it almost impossible for the opponent to get into spaces.
All these qualities could be very useful for a Bayern Munich side that will be desperate to re-establish themselves as the most dangerous team in Europe in the coming seasons.
