Glen Johnson tips David Alaba to be a perfect signing for Chelsea
Glen Johnson has urged his former club Chelsea to arrange a deal to sign Bayern Munich star David Alaba on a free transfer in the summer.
The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the best defenders on the planet over the course of his illustrious spell at the Allianz Arena. Alaba has made over 400 appearances for the Bavarian giants, winning nine Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns.
However, Alaba’s time at Bayern Munich seems to be coming to an end with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. His imminent availability on a free transfer has put several top clubs across the continent, including Real Madrid and Chelsea on red alert. (h/t Daily Star)
While Chelsea are very much in the race for Alaba, it was recently reported that the Austrian’s mammoth £400,000-a-week wage demands have set the Blues back in their pursuit of the Bundesliga veteran. As a result, Thomas Tuchel’s side have been forced to explore other avenues to bolster their backline.
Johnson, though, is of the opinion that Alaba would be the perfect signing for Chelsea. The former England international has highlighted the Austrian’s versatility as one of the key factors that should make him an excellent fit for Tuchel’s system.
Johnson told Betting Expert (h/t Football London):
“Chelsea would need Alaba the most. If they’re going to play with wing-backs he would be the ideal man because he’s an unbelievably good athlete and could play on the left of a back three or as a left wing-back.
“If anybody needed him to slot into their formation right now that would be Chelsea.
Tuchel has rotated Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell at left wing-back in his preferred 3-4-2-1 system. However, Emerson Palmieri is yet to make an impression.
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Regardless of that, a free transfer for Alaba would represent a massive boost given his positional flexibility and excellent track record in Europe.