Chelsea have joined the transfer race to sign Bayern Munich star David Alaba as a free agent at the end of the season.

David Alaba, 28, is out of contract at Bayern Munich in June and looks set to end his stay at the Allianz Arena at the end of the season after 13 glittering years in the Bundesliga. Real Madrid have reportedly offered the Austrian international a four-year deal but he is contemplating his options before making a final decision, with Paris Saint-Germain also believed to be interested.
Chelsea are also vying for Alaba’s signature, with some of the agents involved in bringing new manager Thomas Tuchel to Stamford Bridge are also involved with the defender.
Thomas Tuchel facing an uphill task at Chelsea
The Blues started the Thomas Tuchel era with a 0-0 draw with Wolves at home on Wednesday. Tuchel, who replaced the sacked Frank Lampard, failed to inspire an immediate improvement at Chelsea as Wolves frustrated the West Londoners and walked away with a point.
Chelsea have won just two of their last nine league matches and are currently eighth in the standings, seven points behind fourth-place Liverpool. Tuchel faces an uphill task of bringing stability and balance to this Chelsea side, something which Lampard failed to address and paid the big price.
The West London outfit spent more than £200 million to bolster the squad during the summer transfer window. Having arrived with a lot of fanfare from the Bundesliga, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have royally struggled to cope with the demands of Premier League football this season. Tuchel’s first and foremost job will be to get Werner and Havertz firing all cylinders.
Defensively, the Blues weren’t convincing at all under Lampard, conceding 23 goals in 19 games. This isn’t the worst reading from any angle possible but they’ll need to be a lot better defensively to achieve a top-four finish this season. Tuchel will need to address the problems in defence that was persistent in Lampard’s reign.
Defensive reinforcements needed
Chelsea do have some really experienced defenders in their squad and it will be up to Tuchel to get the right mix and achieve stability in the backline. However, the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen haven’t been consistent this season, while left-backs Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri have struggled for game time following Ben Chilwell’s summer signing from Leicester City.
The duo of Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva is a decent one but it’s evident that the Blues need much more than that, especially with the latter not getting any younger. Thus, ahead of next season, Chelsea must sign a reliable and experienced defender to strengthen their squad.
David Alaba could be a brilliant acquisition
Alaba is one of the established, top and reliable defenders in world football who has nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB Pokal crowns, two Super Cup trophies and two Champions League titles since making his debut at Bayern back in 2010. He has continued to be a crucial player for the Bavarians this season, scoring two goals in 24 appearances across all competitions.
A versatile player, the Austrian international has played in various positions throughout his career, including central midfield and left-wing, but he primarily operates as a centre-back or left-back. Undoubtedly, Alaba’s wealth of experience, winning mentality and versatility should be a blessing for Chelsea if they manage to sign him on a free transfer in the summer.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.