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Football

02nd Nov 2020

Bayern Munich president explains why club withdrew David Alaba contract offer

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer has explained why Bayern Munich withdrew their contract extension offer to David Alaba

Reuben Pinder

“We presented him with a very good, competitive, offer.”

Bayern Munich have withdrawn their offer of a contract extension to David Alaba after receiving no response from the player’s representatives.

Alaba’s current deal will expire at the end of the season, meaning the Austrian is free to speak to clubs from January onwards over a free transfer that would go through next summer.

Keen to keep him at the club, or at least to retain his value, Bayern offered him a “very fair” contract extension, which reports suggest comprised an €11m salary for five years, but claim to have not heard any response from his representatives.

“We have a new situation since this weekend,” club president Herbert Hainer said on BR Blickpunkt Sport on Sunday.

“We submitted to David and his advisor some time ago what we think was a very good offer.

“During the last meeting we had said we wanted clarity by the end of October. We did not hear anything until yesterday and we contacted his advisor.

“The answer was that the offer was still unsatisfactory and we should think about it again. We then decided to take the offer completely off the table. This means there is no longer an offer.”

Alaba has spent his entire professional career at Bayern, playing a key role in Jupp Heynckes’ treble winning side of 2012/13, Pep Guardiola’s dominant sides before moving into central defence under Hansi Flick.

But now the versatile defender looks set to move on, and will not be short of options once the winter transfer window arrives in January.

Thus far there have been no concrete links to any potential buyers but one would expect the likes of Manchester City – who still need a left-back – and Liverpool, who need a left sided central defender to replace long term casualty Virgil Van Dijk, to step forward.