Bayern Munich head coach, Hansi Flick, has admitted that defender, David Alaba, looks set to leave the UEFA Champions League holders at the end of the season amid interest from Real Madrid.
Flick also said that Bayern Munich would have to react by signing a replacement should Alaba eventually leave the Allianz Arena.
Alaba is out of contract with Bayern Munich at the end of the season, and the player has drawn the interest of Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan in the past few days.
The 28-year-old was permitted by Bayern Munich to discuss moves with other clubs after he turned down the club’s last offer of £200,000 a week contract extension to remain at the Bundesliga champions.
Speaking on the development ahead of Bayern Munich’s away Bundesliga clash with Augsburg on Wednesday night, Flick told a pre-match press conference: “At the moment I’ve to admit that I have not heard anything from him [David Alaba] regarding this topic. Hope dies last.
“However, I know that things are moving towards a direction which means change for the team.
“David Alaba showed a good performance against Freiburg, and it’s important for him to stay focused. That’s how I experience him, as does the whole team.
“We’ve to continue. We know things like this are possible in football and that there are always changes at the end of a season.
“Change also has the potential to develop the team. We will have to wait and see what happens. There is nothing more we can do at the moment.”
Flick added: “Obviously, David Alaba is a player who isn’t only valuable for the team on the pitch, but also in the locker room and elsewhere.
“But these kinds of things [Transfers] happen. Where the road takes him, we do not know. We have to wait and see what happens. I do not have any thoughts around that at the moment.
“It’s clear though that if a player of his calibre leaves the club, the club has to react and get another player. The future will tell what happens.
“Currently, this isn’t a topic for me because we’ll have this squad until the end of the season, so the focus is on this team and all the players we’ve available.
“What happens after that’s a new chapter for the club and the team, and one has to make the best of it then.”
