Real Madrid considering other options at center-back aside from Bayern Munich’s David Alaba

Bayern Munich defender David Alaba was penciled into making a move to Real Madrid just a few weeks ago according to the Spanish media. Now, however, it appears that Los Blancos are setting up a nice contingency plan should Alaba’s wage demands not come down to an acceptable level.

Per a report from AS that was captured by Football Espana, Alaba still remains the top choice for Real Madrid, but Los Blancos have a few other options in mind should things not work out with the Austrian:

David Alaba is the principal target. The Austrian’s contract at Bayern Munich expires come the end of the season and he’s already communicated that he won’t renew, creating a remarkable market opportunity. If Alaba is unattainable, the majority of attractive options would require investment. That’s not ideal given the delicate nature of Madrid’s finances at the moment, especially given the cost of the ongoing renovations to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The other names on their list are Kalidou Koulibaly, Jules Kounde and Pau Torres. Koulibaly’s situation will change greatly depending on whether Napoli can break into the Champions League or not, Kounde’s release clause is €90m and Pau Torres’ has a fixed price of €50m.

Alaba’s status at Bayern Munich is essentially sealed as everyone is expecting him to exit during the summer transfer window. Chelsea, Manchester City, FC Barcelona, and Liverpool appear to be the other primary contenders for the 28-year-old at this stage, though Chelsea is also struggling with Alaba’s wage demands.