Praise, from January 1

David Alaba (28 years old), Bayern Munich player, approaches Real Madrid. The Austrian international ends his contract with the Bavarian team on June 30, but both the Munich team and the player himself have already announced that they will not renew their relationship. That is to say, As of January 1, the player is free to negotiate with any team: would arrive free at the end of his contract or you can pay a transfer that is not very expensive. A bargain in the transfer market for any team. And that's where the Real Madrid option comes in.

Alaba has always liked it on the noble floor of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Offered on several occasions when his father acted as a manager, he is a player who can perform well as a left back as well as a central defender in that area. Interestingly, it is where Sergio Ramos, a player who ends his contract with Madrid on June 30, like the Austrian, has been playing normally, and who has not yet renewed with the white team. Too can be the relief of Marcelo, if the Brazilian leaves the white discipline this summer (he has a contract until 2022), but the few minutes he is playing and the fierce criticism he has received may make him think of a change of scenery.

But Alaba is not only interested in the white team. The greats of Europe see him as a player to follow to complete a luxury squad. Teams like PSG, Juventus, Barcelona and the greats of the Premier, especially Chelsea and Manchester City (Guardiola knows him well from his time in the Bavarian team), see that a player of his stature can arrive free, but the Austrian, through his agent, the Israeli Pini Zahavi, has sent his conditions in which he includes a succulent amount as a transfer bonus as well as high financial claims for signing. Amounts difficult to reach for many clubs grieving for the economic situation derived from the coronavirus crisis.

That is what slows the possible arrival of the Austrian for the moment. Madrid does not lose sight of him and knows that in just three weeks he will be free. Just the time that players like Ramos himself, Modric and Lucas Vázquez have left to negotiate with other clubs if Madrid does not take a step forward. Of course, Alaba would not cover the physical and emotional hole that Ramos would leave if he did not finally renew with the white team …