Liverpool has missed out on a huge signing.
Moving quickly into deals isn’t something the Reds are known for, especially not under Jurgen Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards.
That said, they would have known about the contract situation that David Alaba is currently in. The Austrian is versatile, elite and available for nearly no transfer fee. He would have been transformative.
Alaba could slot in at centre-back; freeing Jordan Henderson from his defensive purgatory. Alaba could cover Andy Robertson at left-back. Alaba could cover Henderson in midfield.
Even if he’s expensive, he could have helped solve the issues that have plagued Liverpool this season and really plugged a hole.
Liverpool and David Alaba: A broken dream
Except our colleges at The Top Flight have reported on a tweet by Fabrizio Romano, who has said that Real Madrid has managed to secure Alaba for next season.
He’ll join as a free agent, and the Spanish giants will now be able to welcome another elite player to their ranks for the start of next season.
There was speculation linking the Austrian with a move to Liverpool. It’s definitely a shame to see him leave for Madrid, although it isn’t clear whether we were truly in the run for the player.
Wage demands could have come into this. Liverpool pay a lot of money on their wages, and have just recruited Thiago from Bayern Munich; they may not have had space in the budget for another high-earning 28-year-old.
The Guardian has reported that Alaba will pick up a four-year deal in Spain, which is a lot of money to spend on someone who won’t have plenty of time left at the top of his game, plus there’ll be no resale value.
As it stands, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to bring anyone into the club this window. There’s been loan departures, but no senior arrivals.