In the end, Bayern didn’t seem too concerned about Thiago Alcantara’s decision to swap Munich for Merseyside.
One of the world’s most gifted playmakers might have dazzled en route to Champions League glory last term but, at 29 and with a series of serious injuries in his past, a £20 million bid was too good to turn down for a man set to drop into the free-agent pool less than 12 months later.
And, in Joshua Kimmich, Marc Roca and the revitalised Corentin Tolisso, Bayern weren’t short of replacements either.
In many ways, the David Alaba case is very similar to that of Thiago.
The Austria international appears to have his heart set on a new challenge after 12 years and nine Bundesliga titles at the Allianz Arena – so much so that he has rejected the chance to sign a new long-term contract complete with wages in the region of £300,000-a-week (Sport BILD).
And, two months after Thiago joined forces with Jurgen Klopp, AS suggests that Alaba, a free agent himself in 2021, could follow in his footsteps at Anfield.
But while everyone in Munich appeared to agree that Thiago’s story at FC Hollywood had come to an end, there was an expectation that Alaba’s had a few more chapters remaining.
The 28-year-old is not only one of the finest centre-halves on the planet today, he is also a massive presence on and off the pitch with his in-game coaching helping to transform Alphonso Davies into a potentially generation-defining talent.
CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, sporting director Hasan Salihamdzic and coach Hansi Flick, not to mention a whole host of team-mates, have all expressed their desire to see Alaba stay in recent weeks.
And with good reason. As former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola once said, Alaba more than a mere footballer in Munich.
“David Alaba is our God,” Guardiola told Les-transferts.com “He has already played in almost every position.”
If Alaba joins Thiago at Liverpool, Bayern will not only lose one of the most complete footballers of the modern era. They will also lose a symbol of the club, a man who’s influence almost transcends football itself.
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