David Alaba‘s days at Real Madrid are numbered. The serious injury he suffered last season, his poor performance levels which have not improved since his return, and the high salary he receives, are the main reasons why the Whites have taken this decision. They are looking for a new destination for him at the same time as they are looking for reinforcements for next season.
Alaba, far from his best form
David Alaba is halfway out of Real Madrid. Time is running out for the Austrian footballer, who is failing to come close, by far, to the level that made him one of the best central defenders in the world. The serious injury he suffered last season brought the great story he was writing in the white team to a screeching halt.
Since his return, Carlo Ancelotti has been giving him more playing time, little by little, but it is taking him longer than expected to find the rhythm necessary to continue being a reliable footballer. Against Real Sociedad he had one of his worst nights as a footballer, not just for Real Madrid, but perhaps in his entire career. He scored two own goals and missed Oyarzabal‘s mark on the fourth goal from San Sebastián that took the game into extra time in injury time.
Against Valencia, Carlo Ancelotti returned him to left-back, the position with which he began his professional career, to take advantage of his left-footed shot, but the wing was too long for him due to his lack of pace and speed. The speed was also evident in the Valencia goal, as it prevented him from getting to defend the play for the final 1-2 that compromised LaLiga for Real Madrid.
In the defeat against Arsenal, he returned to the left wing and Bukayo Saka, who had not played for three months, drove him crazy. He fouled him, unnecessarily, in Arsenal’s first goal, and he was overwhelmed throughout the game, lacking in resources and physical fitness.
The truth is that every time Alaba plays, his game ends up being a problem for Real Madrid in the form of goals. Ancelotti continues to have confidence in him, the team needs to rotate, but he is not contributing and is becoming a problem.
Among the highest paid on the squad
Another card that the Austrian is playing against himself is his high salary. His cachet and the fact that he arrived at Real Madrid for free allowed him to earn the maximum within the salary limits set by Florentino Pérez, 22 million euros a year, a prohibitive amount for a footballer of his age and with the physical problems he has.
Real Madrid would be willing to part with the player for very little money, or at zero cost, in order to free up wage bill. So far there have been no offers for the player, but interest has come from Saudi Arabia, where the player could sign a contract that would allow him to earn even more money than he does at Real Madrid.
Alaba clings to his seat
However, the departure of David Alaba is not going to be easy. According to what Grada3 has learned, the Austrian footballer is confident of his recovery and does not want to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. Alaba is determined to play in the next World Cup in 2026 and believes that the best preparation is to do it at club level with the demands of the team at the Chamartín stadium.
On the other hand, the player’s entourage claims to feel supported by the club and does not feel singled out, as he considers that his serious injury cannot put him in the crosshairs of a team that has not performed well throughout the season. He considers that he is meeting the deadlines for his recovery and hopes to be at full capacity when the new season begins.