- Manchester United eye up Real Madrid star
- United look to strengthen their defence
- David Alaba could bring leadership to the squad
Manchester United are looking to bolster both defence and midfield this summer, with veteran Real Madrid star David Alaba reportedly emerging as a target.
Across a stellar 17-year career, Alaba has built his reputation primarily at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most versatile operators.
The Austrian has racked up 578 appearances for Real Madrid, Bayern, and Hoffenheim, while also earning 111 caps for the Austrian national team.
During his time across Germany and Spain, Alaba has enjoyed a bejewelled spell of success, winning 12 league titles, four Champions League titles, seven domestic cups, and a myriad of other honours.
Alaba is now eyeing a move to a third European giant, with United looking to sign the veteran defender.
Man United Eye Alaba
According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are looking to reinforce their defence with Austrian veteran Alaba. He is out of contract this summer, and United could move for a cut-price deal from Real Madrid to strengthen their back line.
United already possess an incredibly strong defensive unit, with Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martinez, and Matthijs De Ligt all featuring across the back line.
And if United were to sign him, he would come up against a rival manager who once spoke glowingly of him during their time together at Bayern Munich.
Whilst both Alaba and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola were at Bayern Munich, the pair formed a strong bond.
“David Alaba is our god,” Guardiola said prior to a 0-0 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach on 26 October, 2015. He might soon come up against the Austrian if the versatile defender joins United.
Alaba Injuries a Concern
The biggest issue with Alaba is that the Austrian has endured a torrid time with injuries over the past couple of seasons. The last time the centre-back played more than 20 games in a campaign came back in 2022/23, with Alaba featuring in as few as 14 matches in the last campaign.
Since joining Madrid, Alaba has suffered 16 injuries, ruling him out for a combined 132 games for club and country. The majority of that spell came when he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a La Liga match against Villarreal on December 17, 2023.
He spent 382 days on the sidelines and missed 72 fixtures. Since then, injuries have become a recurring issue, with Alaba suffering four separate setbacks in the past two years.
This, quite obviously, raises serious concerns for Manchester United. The Austrian earns a reported £376,000 per week at Madrid—a figure that would need to drop significantly if he were to join the Red Devils.
If United can secure him on reduced terms—somewhere in the £100,000 to £125,000 bracket—he could represent a smart acquisition. However, that approach runs counter to what INEOS have targeted in their recruitment.
Their current strategy focuses on identifying young, yet experienced, profiles and developing them into elite-level players. Alaba, already 33 and turning 34 on June 24, does not quite fit that mould.
