Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on Bayern Munich’s defensive superstar David Alaba, with Frank Lampard desperate to sign a new left-back.
According to The Athletic, as relayed by The Sun, Chelsea are plotting a potential summer move for David Alaba. The Bayern Munich defender has been identified as a top target by Frank Lampard, who is keen on signing a left-back.
The Chelsea manager was initially looking at Ben Chilwell. But, Leicester City’s staggering £70 million valuation was enough to put them off. As a result, they are mulling over a summer move for David Alaba, who is apparently facing an uncertain future at Bayern Munich, with his contract expiring at the end of next season.
However, Alaba has had an insanely successful season in the Bundesliga, starring in Bayern Munich’s record eighth consecutive league title. But instead of his preferred left-back role, the Austrian international has excelled at centre-back, building a formidable defensive partnership alongside the likes of Jerome Boateng and Benjamin Pavard.
As a matter of fact, Alaba has added another dimension to Bayern’s defensive game. His sublime range of passing, combined with his pace, athleticism and physical presence means that the Bavarians are now much more capable, especially when it comes to employing a more aggressive style of play as their defenders can recover in time.
Chelsea, therefore, can definitely use someone like Alaba in their team next season. Hardened by years of experience at the highest level of football, the 28-year-old is a noticeable upgrade over the likes of Marcos Alonso and Emerson at left-back. His aggression and ball-playing qualities should make him a tailor-made fit for the physically astute nature of the Premier League.
But on a more important note, it is Alaba’s versatility that could aid Chelsea. Indeed, the Bayern Munich star has already shown his capability at centre-back and could, therefore, emerge as a first-choice defensive option alongside Antonio Rudiger. Additionally, the Austrian can feature in the defensive role, meaning he can provide back-up for Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
At the same time, however, it is almost guaranteed that Bayern Munich are set to go all out in their bid to convince Alaba to stay at the club for the foreseeable future.
With Boateng nearing the final phase of his career and Lucas Hernandez being linked with a move away from Allianz Arena, Alaba could no doubt become a first-choice centre-back alongside Niklas Sule next season. This, combined with the presence of two accomplished full-backs in Alphonso Davies and Pavard means Bayern Munich will have one of the most well-established defensive units in the world.
Hence, Chelsea shouldn’t get their hopes up, as far as their pursuit of Alaba is concerned. But, they do have every right to excited about their latest signing in Timo Werner, who could emerge as one of the signings of the summer next season.