Manchester City have opened talks regarding a deal for Bayern Munichâs talented left-back-come-midfielder David Alaba, according to The Sun.
Whatâs the story?
Just six months after leaving the good ship Bayern Munich, captain Pep Guardiola is ready to return like a salty old pirate to steal the Bavariansâ Austrian star. Itâs claimed that âtalksâ have taken place with the £40million-rated ace's representatives over the course of the past couple of weeks - around the time Man Cityâs own form has hit the skids.
Itâs understood that the Manchester club donât see January as a viable time to go for Alaba, who instead is a target for summer 201 -  at which time we imagine that Guardiola will have taken stock of all of his players and gained a real idea of what needs chopping and changing at the Etihad Stadium.
Why Alaba?
Having worked with the Austrian ace, Guardiola knows the nuances of his game. Itâs claimed by The Sun that the Spaniard wants two new full-backs, which makes sense given that the likes of Aleksandar Kolarov, Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna are reaching the latter stages of their respective careers, while Gael Clichy has failed to truly live up to the potential he once showed at Arsenal.
Alaba is considered to be among the very best left-sided defenders on the planet, while heâs also been known to play in central midfield for both Bayern and Austria â whom he captained at EURO 2016. Guardiola loves versatility in his players, while heâs had his full-backs moving into midfield positions when in possession this term to allow his central midfielders to drift further forward â Alaba, it seems, is the perfect option then.
How will they go about getting him?
Money, obviously. The Sun claim that Man City are willing to double the 24-year-oldâs £75,000-per-week salary to £150,000-per-week to relocate to Manchester, which is sure to be tempting for any player. Further to this, Alaba has won just about all there is to win with Bayern, which may make a fresh challenge appealing. However, rival European giants are certainly come sniffing should there be an indication Alaba may move on, with Real Madrid having already been floated as suitors.