Reports: Real Madrid and Barcelona face struggle to sign Bayern Munich defender

According to several reports in the Spanish media, La Liga giants and arch-rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid are both interested in Bayern Munich outcast David Alaba and now face a race against time to raise funds and meet the experienced star's demands in the coming months.

David Alaba has enjoyed several years of exceptional success in the Bundesliga but was refused a contract extension by reigning European champions Bayern Munich. The Austrian defender still has several years of his career ahead of him and will likely be one of the most sought-after players in the upcoming winter transfer window.

According to @BILD_Sport 🗞Bayern Munich have withdrawn from contract negotiations with David Alaba after their Sunday deadline passed ❌Alaba reportedly wants a move to Spain and the chance to leave on a free next summer will entice both Real Madrid and Barcelona 🆓 pic.twitter.com/zaZNSdWsUu

— Sport360° (@Sport360) November 3, 2020

Real Madrid and Barcelona have reportedly expressed interest in the Bayern Munich veteran's availability and are currently monitoring his situation in Germany. Alaba is one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga and his experience and awareness on the pitch can give the La Liga duo a massive boost in the short term.

With the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on La Liga, however, Barcelona and Real Madrid are currently struggling to make ends meet financially and will have to dig deep into their treasuries to afford David Alaba's wage demands. The Bayern Munich defender earns a considerable amount of money with the Bavarian giants and is unlikely to accept a pay cut in the coming months.

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Barcelona and Real Madrid looking for ways to sign Bayern Munich star David Alaba

David Alaba is an excellent defender

David Alaba has played a crucial role in Bayern Munich's domination in the Bundesliga in recent years. The Austrian defender rose to prominence under Pep Guardiola and was also one of the key players in Bayern Munich's astonishing treble-winning campaign last season.

Alaba was surprisingly denied a contract extension earlier this week, however, and has expressed disappointment in the Bayern Munich management for failing to reach an agreement in his contract negotiations. The experienced Austrian earns €8 million per year at the moment at Bayern Munich and will want Real Madrid and Barcelona to offer him a much higher amount.

Clubs with concret interest in Alaba at the moment: PSG, Juventus, Manchester City. Clubs Alaba would like to go to: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona@cfbayern pic.twitter.com/DJ4qp4QTp2

— VBET News (@VBETnews) November 2, 2020

Real Madrid have been forced to cut the salaries of several star players over the past year to cope with the financial difficulties caused by the pandemic. The La Liga champions were uncharacteristically quiet in the summer transfer window and Zinedine Zidane will be looking to make a few additions to his squad this January.

Real Madrid do not have the best defensive record this season and have plenty of work to do to defend their La Liga title. Zinedine Zidane has plenty of young players in his squad and could use the experience that David Alaba could bring to his squad.

Barcelona and Real Madrid need improvement this year

Barcelona have struggled in their own half this season and are in desperate need of a talented defender. With Ronald Araujo and Samuel Umtiti injured at the moment, Barcelona rely far too heavily on Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet to remain consistent on multiple fronts.

Barcelona are also reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy and will need a miracle to meet David Alaba's demands of €12 million a year in wages. The Catalan giants will need a miracle to raise funds for the transfer and are unlikely to compete with Real Madrid for the Bayern Munich star's signature.

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