Defender David Alaba confirmed Tuesday he will leave Bayern Munich after 13 years at the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, but refused to name his next destination.
Alaba, who has won nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues during his time at Bayern, has been linked with Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea but has not revealed his next move.
“I have made the decision to try something new after this season and to leave the club. It was a difficult decision. I have been here for 13 years. I made so many memories here,” Alaba said.
“I have not decided what is next for me. I decided to seek a new challenge. That’s why it took time.
“I have five, six, seven years left in my career. That’s why I decided to try something new.
“It’s no secret my management is in touch with several clubs. I will focus on my task here and will remain in contact with my management.”
Alaba has made 415 appearances for the Bavarian giants, but repeatedly turned down Bayern’s attempts to extend his contract.
Bayern have signed 22-year-old French centre-back Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig to replace Alaba next season.
Starting out as a midfielder, Alaba was converted into a left-back by Louis van Gaal in 2010 but more recently he was moved to centre-back, first by Niko Kovac and now by Hansi Flick, following the emergence of Alphonso Davies at left-back.
As a central defender, Alaba has been crucial as Bayern first won an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title in 2020 and then began an historic run of silverware, winning the DFB-Pokal, the Champions League, the European and German Supercup and, finally, last week the Club World Cup.
At the tournament in Qatar, Alaba returned to midfield in the final, where he also played in Monday’s 3-3 draw with Arminia Bielefeld.
