Real Madrid attempted to terminate its contract with David Alaba immediately this summer by mutual consent, but the Austrian star’s response was surprising and extremely confusing for the Spanish club.
Alaba was absent for Real Madrid for a year and a half after suffering a torn knee ligament in December 2023. The Austrian star has failed to regain his form since his debut last March and has suffered several setbacks since then.
Alaba is the second-highest-paid player at Real Madrid after Kylian Mbappé, earning €22 million annually. Los Blancos officials wanted to offload this significant financial burden, especially since the player was no longer in coach Xabi Alonso’s plans for the new season.
Real Madrid officials contacted Alaba and his entourage and offered a settlement to terminate his contract, which runs until the summer of 2026, similar to the scenario that occurred with Eden Hazard four years ago.
However, Alaba completely rejected the idea and insisted on continuing with Real Madrid until the end of his contract, according to AS. This move did not please the club’s management, who believed the player should have shown greater understanding, accepted the situation, and left immediately.
Despite his continued presence, Alaba is not expected to feature much next season, as coach Alonso has decided to have Eder Militao and Dejan Huijsen as Real Madrid’s starting central defenders, with Antonio Rüdiger and Raúl Asensio on the bench.
The 33-year-old Alaba joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 after his contract with Bayern Munich expired. Since then, he has made 116 appearances, scoring five goals and providing nine assists, and has won numerous titles, most notably the Champions League twice.
