David Alaba admitted that he imagines his future away from Bayern Munich and is a boyhood Arsenal fan.
The Austrian, like many other footballers of his generation, idolized the Arsenal side that won several trophies during Arsene Wenger’s early years.
Alaba is a highly prestigious name in Germany and across Europe. He has been a regular in a very talented Bayern Munich side since he was a teenager. The 27-year-old, usually deployed as a left-back, has been made to play more centrally by Hansi Flick.
He has been quietly playing down his contract which is due to end in 2021. When asked about a possible move to England, Alaba said, “We’ll see. I know the Premier League very well because I followed it a lot when I was younger. I supported Arsenal. Patrick Vieira was one of my favourite players. At the moment, I don’t think too much about it but I can imagine playing somewhere else.”
That is a huge statement of intent from the left-back. Arsenal have faced several issues in that position this term. Sead Kolasinac has struggled to get a consistent run of games with injuries constantly knocking him down. Kieran Tierney has faced similar issues in his first Premier League season.
Mikel Arteta has been forced to deploy Bukayo Saka in the position as a makeshift option. While the 18-year-old has impressed tremendously, he is still realistically not expected to play that position forever. A defensive ace with the offensive ability of a winger is needed to play the modern game and Alaba is a the industrial standard in that department.
Let’s see if Arsenal launch an offer anytime soon even with the challenges at hand. The Gunners are without Champions League football currently and that is an instant disadvantage. Arteta will also be prioritising other positions to fully balance the squad.
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