Bayern Munich’s man-for-all-seasons, David Alaba, has caused some consternation within the club as the Austrian revealed that he is in no rush to extend his contract. However, Alaba, who is happy for the moment at Bayern Munich, did not rule out a move to the Premier League in the future.
In a wide-ranging interview with German outlet Abendzeitung, Alaba made the comments that are sure to put a number of Premier League clubs on alert, saying “A move to England? I understand why a lot of players are moving there. It's one of the best leagues in the world. But the same goes for the Bundesliga.”
The 23 year old also disclosed that he is only considering the short term while he’s at Bayern, saying “Could I stay at Bayern my entire career? I'm not the type of person who looks that far ahead. I am setting short-term goals instead. My contract still runs until 2018. I was injured for a quite a long time, so I was only thinking about my recovery. Contract talks were never on my mind.”
In contrast, Alaba’s teammates at Bayern, namely Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez, all recently signed long term deals at the Bavarian giants, with the Bayern Munich board keen on tying the Austrian to a long term deal as well, only to be rebuffed by Alaba’s desire to move to the Premier League in the future.
Alaba views himself as a midfielder
Alaba has impressed his manager, Pep Guardiola, with his versatility. The Spaniard left no one in doubt about the Austrian’s quality, as he gushed over Alaba’s versatility, saying “David Alaba is our God. He has played in almost 10 positions!”
While Alaba is happy to play in multiple positions, he made it clear that midfield is where he views himself in the future, especially if he moves to the Premier League, saying “I have shown that I can play as a centre-back, but it's not necessarily my favourite position. I am feeling more at home at left-back or in midfield. But I want to help the team regardless of where the coach uses me.”
“Of course, I would like to become the best midfielder in the world. Every player wants to become one of the best. I see my future in midfield, that's no secret. But I can play in a number of positions.”
With Bayern currently top of the Bundesliga with 49 points, Alaba is happy to be at Bayern, for the moment. The Austrian tempered the idea that he is keen on a move, saying “I am not missing anything at Bayern. Everybody who has ever played for Bayern knows how good this club is for its players. We are all grateful to be playing for Bayern. Munich is a great place for me.”
