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Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea linked with David Alaba after rejecting Bayern contract offer

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly considering moves for David Alaba following the defender’s decision to reject a new contract at Bayern Munich.

Alaba is entering the final year of his contract at the Bundesliga champions and has rejected the Bavarian’s offer of an extension, the Austrian international seeking parity with Bayern’s highest-earning players including the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer.

The 28-year-old is regarded as one of the finest defenders in world football following a glittering career to date in German football, Alaba having won nine Bundesliga titles and the Champions League amongst his major honours since moving to Munich from Austria Vienna as a teenager.

According to Sky Sports, Alaba’s refusal of Bayern’s latest offer has attracted significant interest from the Premier League, with reports suggesting a move to England could follow swiftly following the conclusion of the Champions League.

Bayern meet Lyon in the semi-finals of the tournament in Lisbon this evening, the German’s the favourites to lift the trophy following their 8-2 quarter-final destruction of Barcelona in the previous round.

The report says that Alaba ‘could be a Premier League player within a fortnight’, with Manchester City amongst the player’s long-term admirers, the club having tried to include the defender as part of the deal that took Leroy Sane to Bayern earlier this summer.

Pep Guardiola worked with the player during his time at the Allianz Arena, though his interest ‘may have cooled’ following City’s capture of Nathan Ake from Bournemouth – who, like Alaba, is comfortable centrally or at left-back.

Chelsea and Manchester United are also reportedly ‘keen’ on the player with both clubs keen to strengthen defensively this summer, and could launch a move should Alaba decide to leave the club where he has spent his entire senior career to date.

The player’s agent, Pini Zahavi, is reported to have held talks over a new deal at the weekend, though the two parties were ‘poles apart’ with Alaba rejecting a €15m-a-year offer – although it would not be a surprise to see the Premier League interest being used as an attempt to draw out an improved offer.

Alaba is likely to start for Bayern this evening as they prepare to face Lyon at the Estádio José Alvalade in Portugal, the winners set to meet Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s Champions League final.

Napoli make ‘last ditch attempt’ to sign Arsenal target Gabriel Magalhaes

See also – Five of Pep Guardiola’s worst Champions League defeats

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