Bayern Munich defender David Alaba wants a wage of €13m (£11.72m) a year, or approximately £225,000 a week, when he joins his next club, according to reports.
Liverpool and Real Madrid are thought to be among five clubs battling to sign the 28-year-old on a free transfer next summer when his contract expires, while the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked. However, fans on Twitter don’t believe that the Reds would consider paying such a high salary:
Never happening.Get someone like upamecano not alaba
— ??? (@JotaTheGoatt) January 10, 2021
Crazy, that's Lingard style. Hope he will end up without a club this summer.
— Ufukhan (@Ufukhanius) January 10, 2021
Guessing he want a fat signing on fee too. We can write that one off
— michael smith (@SteveMikey9) January 10, 2021
This ain't how we conduct business.
— RVD☣?☠️ (@DVRY28) January 10, 2021
Then it is not happening then.
— Colin Nickless (@NicklessColin) January 10, 2021
Good but not worth aggravating everyone in the club to sign him
— Chapperz (@Chapperz_7) January 10, 2021
the deal is dead…
— polis (@polisLFC) January 10, 2021
On ye bike
— Craig (@CraigYB1989) January 10, 2021
I wont pay him that amount with age he is
— michael horsman (@mickylove22) January 10, 2021
On the one hand, Liverpool are saving millions in terms of the transfer fee so that may make paying Alaba’s wages more palatable, but there are also other factors that need to be taken into account.
A sizeable signing-on fee would also be required, while the salary level may prompt other players in Liverpool’s squad to ask for a pay rise as well. The deal doesn’t seem like one that would usually attract the Merseyside club, although, as we saw with Thiago Alcantara, they are not averse to making surprising moves in the transfer market.