Revealed: Door opens for Liverpool to sign £59m-valued defender on pre-contract
The door has opened for Liverpool to make a stunning January swoop for superstar David Alaba after he rejected a new Bayern Munich contract.
The Merseysiders' need for defensive reinforcements has intensified after Fabinho broke down with a hamstring injury in Tuesday night's Champions League win over Danish side FC Midtjylland.
Alaba, 28, appears to be sensationally planning to quit Bayern after it was reported in Bild today the latest round of talks over a new deal failed to secure an agreement.
The Austria international is out of contract next summer and can leave on a free transfer at that point or sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in January.
A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Alaba is on the target list of Liverpool, just as his former teammate Thiago Alcantara was before sealing a blockbuster move from Bayern to Anfield in the recent window.
He is a remarkably versatile operator who can play anywhere in defence, midfield or, even, attack.
Alaba has spent most of his Bayern career at left-back, but, intriguingly for Liverpool, has been used solely at centre-back this season.
All seven of his appearances have come in central defence, including in Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League win at Lokomotiv Moscow as he partnered Niklas Süle at the back.
Liverpool could be in the market for a January centre-back signing after losing Virgil van Dijk to a knee injury likely to sideline him for the season after already failing to replace summer departee Dejan Lovren.
Alaba has spent the last 12 years at Bayern after joining as a 16-year-old and has been a mainstay of the team that has dominated German football as well as twice winning the Champions League.
Valued by Transfermarkt at £59m, he has made 393 appearances for the club, scoring 31 times and supplying 49 assists from defence.