Madrid (Spain) May 29: Real Madrid on Friday confirmed their first signing of the new season with the arrival of Austrian international defender David Alaba from Bayern Munich.
The 28-year-old defender has signed a five-year contract and arrives on a free transfer after opting not to extend his contract after making 431 appearances for the German champions.
The Real Madrid website says that Alaba will be officially presented as a new player after this summer's European Championships in which he will represent his country.
Alaba's arrival is an important boost for the Real Madrid defense, and the fact he can play at either left-back or as a left-sided central defender also opens the door for a couple of departures.
Brazilian left-back Marcelo looks likely to leave the club this summer after losing his place to Ferland Mendy, while Sergio Ramos also has a foot out of the door after so far failing to agree a new contract.
Zinedine Zidane's decision to step down as first-team coach on Thursday has further weakened Ramos' place at the club, as the coach was a big supporter of the veteran defender.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are also thought to be willing to sell Raphael Varane in a bid to finance further new arrivals, such as a possible bid for Paris Saint-Germain forward KylianMbappe.
Source: Xinhua