Udinese have signed David Alaba, a four-time Champions League winner, on a deal running through the end of the season.
Alaba officially joined the Serie A side on Thursday, September 24, and his contract runs until June 30, 2027. The move caught many by surprise, as he had been without a club since leaving Real Madrid in the close season.
A résumé few in Serie A can match
The 34-year-old brings a trophy cabinet well beyond anything else at the club. He has lifted the Champions League twice with Bayern Munich and twice with Madrid. He also spent 13 years in Munich, winning 10 Bundesliga titles. At Real Madrid he made 132 appearances over five seasons. He also won two La Liga titles there.
For Austria, he has been captain and a key figure for over a decade, with 117 caps and 15 goals. He captained the side at this summer’s World Cup, where Austria went out to eventual champions Spain in the last 32.
Why Udinese, and why now
The timing makes sense. Udinese have failed to keep a clean sheet in their opening five league games, conceding 11 goals. They sit 13th with four points and have lost their last three. With the transfer window closed, free agents were one of the few ways left to reinforce the squad.
The club framed the signing as a statement of ambition. General manager Franco Collavino described Alaba as an established champion, a leader and an exemplary professional, and said the move shows the club’s determination to grow and compete at the highest level.
Alaba’s own message was about motivation rather than nostalgia. He said that despite everything he has won, his desire to keep competing and winning has not changed, and that he wants to accomplish something special in Udine.
The fitness question
The signing carries risk. Alaba has spent much of the last few years on the sidelines, after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December 2023. That kept him out for over a year, and he has had numerous injury setbacks since returning. He has also not played since the World Cup.
His versatility could help. Udinese highlighted his technical and leadership skills, as well as tactical versatility, which gives the coaching staff options in central defense and possibly elsewhere.
What’s next
Alaba won’t have long to wait for his debut window. Udinese return after the international break with an away game at Torino on Monday, October 12. Whether he is match-fit by then is the first thing to watch. The larger question is whether a defender with his experience and his injury history can steady a team that has struggled to keep the ball out of its net.
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