Barcelona Rumors: Bayern Munich Star Closing In On Free Transfer To Barca

Bayern Munich’s David Alaba is inching closer to finally suiting up for Barcelona. The Austrian footballer is being reported to complete a free transfer to the Blaugrana in 2021 as Bayern is unable to convince him to stay beyond his current contract.

After multiple failed attempts in the past, Barcelona could finally acquire the talents of the 28-year-old defender next year. The Catalans have established a sound connection with Alaba, who is said to be willing to present himself to the Spanish giants for a gratuitous deal.

“Barcelona has a great relationship with the Austrian especially considering the fact that they have been trying to lure him to Camp Nou for the past two seasons but failed to reach a deal with his employers,” Nishant Narayanan of Fansided’s Everything Barca wrote.

“Bayern are having a hard time convincing the 28-year-old to remain as he desires a change which hints towards the idea that a contract renewal will never be reached.”

Citing another source, Nishant stated that the free transfer could happen in 2021 as a deal in the upcoming summer transfer market is highly unlikely for Barcelona as the club took a financial hit due to the pandemic. But with Lionel Messi giving the thumbs up on Alaba’s signing, Barca will just need to be patient until the Austrian’s current contract with the German side expires.

“Alaba has offered himself to the Spanish side as he wants to play in Spain before his retirement, but a move in the next transfer window seems unlikely because of the economic crisis at Barca,” he added.

“This, however, does not stop the Austrian from joining the Catalans for free once his contract expires in 2021. Blaugrana has been keen on securing the defender for quite some time with Lionel Messi also requesting his signing. He is known to be a reliable and versatile player capable of playing midfield, left-back and center-back role.”

The veteran defender appears to be playing his cards with Bayern. While he has expressed his hopes to play at Camp Nou, Alaba, through his agent Pini Zahavi, has unleashed a conundrum on his current club as he is reported to demand about $24 million as the only option to convince him to stay.