Juventus must go after David Alaba as a free transfer

Bayern Munich star defender David Alaba is available on a free next summer, and Juventus need to be among the clubs interested.

Two summers ago, Juventus made a pair of major free agent signings to upgrade their midfielder in Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot. It took Rabiot a while to get settled, but, now, he looks like a crucial player for the Bianconeri. And Ramsey, when healthy, has flashed world-class creativity in an attacking midfield role under Andrea Pirlo.

Signing experienced players in free agency comes at a high cost in wages, but Rabiot, in particular, offers an example of the upside a good free-agent signing can provide. Juventus didn’t have to pay any sort of a transfer fee, and they were able to sign one of Serie A’s best all-around midfielders for the 2020-2021 season.

Another example of a successful free agent signing that is more recent? How about Roma picking up former Chelsea – and Barcelona – man Pedro for free? Pedro already looks like the best player on the team.

Next summer, Juventus have the opportunity to sign a player for free who is even better than Pedro, Ramsey, and Rabiot. In fact, none of those three players can touch this man in terms of tactical intelligence or career accomplishments.

That man is David Alaba, as Bayern Munich have agreed to let him leave as a free agent next year. So in addition to Thiago, you can chalk up Alaba as another club legend who is still world-class as the next man to leave the reigning treble winners.

Alaba has been linked closely with Real Madrid and Barcelona, even before the season started. But according to a report from Tuttosport, via Football-Italia.net, Juventus are also making Alaba a target of theirs.

As they should.

Juventus need to pursue Alaba and sign him on a pre-contract agreement in January in order to secure his transfer next summer for the 2021-2022 season.

There’s no guarantee they will be able to sign him, because Juve don’t have much money. They still have a lot of cash tied up in wages to underperforming players like Sami Khedira and Federico Bernardeschi who desperately must be sold. And, of course, superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo costs quite a bit of money.

That said, Juventus need to do whatever they can to try and make this free transfer work. It won’t be easy, because Alaba could decide he prefers, say, Real Madrid and give Los Blancos a discount on his salary as compared to the Old Lady.

Juventus can offer David Alaba the ability to play at his position of choice

But Juve can attract Alaba. They could use him as a center back, fullback, or midfielder. So if Alaba wants to play in the midfield, Juve can make that happen. In fact, they need him in midfield more than they need him at center back, and they already have wing-back options that are preferable. Though, of course, Alaba could comfortably excel at left back again, which could end up being ideal for both him and the team.

So he has options. He could play with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the kind of superstar player that only Barcelona can also boast having. Real’s pursuit of Kylian Mbappe is not guaranteed to end in success, even as the tea leaves point to the Santiago Bernabeu as the logical landing spot.

Alaba was one of the best center backs in the Bundesliga last season despite being a left back and defensive midfielder by trade. His ability to excel at center back is a testament to his leadership, composure, and high football IQ. Alaba can do just about anything at a high level, because he’s an excellent footballer with the all-around ability that can be rivaled by very, very few players in the entire world.

Who wouldn’t want to sign someone like that for free? Alaba is a free-kick specialist, an adept attacking fullback, a strong one-vs-one defender, and one of the best center backs or deep-lying midfielders at offering build-up play.

Juventus could use so many of his traits. He is absolutely a priority to pursue as a free transfer, even if they will have to be careful to juggle his understandable salary demands.