It had been known for some time that David Alaba would continue at Real Madrid after his transfer-free departure from Bayern Munich. The Austrian defender was officially presented on Wednesday as an asset to The Royal. Alaba says he has received several offers in recent months, but it was very clear to him that Real would be his next club. He also extensively discusses taking over the jersey number from Sergio Ramos.
“I completely chose this next step in my career,” Alaba emphasizes on Wednesday afternoon during his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu. “I want to grow as a player but certainly also as a person. Of course I received the necessary offers, but for me there was no other option than Real. It is really a dream come true. This is the best and biggest club in the world and the is also exactly the challenge I needed as a player,” said the ambitious and versatile defender.
No player at Real Madrid dares to wear shirt number Ramos
Last weekend, no one at De Koninklijke seemed to want to take over Ramos’ number.
Alaba knows he is seen by many as the successor to Real icon Ramos, who recently made the move to Paris Saint-Germain. No one has dared to wear the shirt with number 4 so far, but the summer acquisition has no fear. “He has played here for over a decade and has become a legend because of this song. That is still clear to everyone. I was told yesterday (Tuesday, ed.) that this was the only song that is still available and I also didn’t want to swap numbers with other players. This number is a great motivation and I want to represent and honor him (Ramos, ed.) I’ve already said that a few times, although I don’t always want to share myself with others I want to show as David Alaba what qualities I have.”
Alaba would nevertheless have liked to play together with Ramos in the defense of Real. “I would have loved that,” confirms the former Bayern stopper. “As I said, he has played at top level for more than a decade and besides that he is a real leader on the field. And playing with Raphaël Varane is also a dream for me. He has shown for years that he is a great footballer. is a fantastic defender with a lot of qualities.” It remains to be seen whether Alaba will team up with Varane, who is coveted by Manchester United. Various foreign media are talking about a transfer amount of fifty million euros for the French defender.
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