Xabi Alonso will continue testing Real Madrid veteran in a new role – report | OneFootball

David Alaba is one player Real Madrid are not opposed to selling this summer, and the Austrian international’s availability on the transfer market has been known for a few weeks now.

Yet, the offices at the Valdebebas are convinced that the player will not find a new club this summer, given his massive wages which repel any interested party. All signs, thus, point to Alaba staying at the club.

Given that the Merengues signed Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras, two players who play precisely in the positions Alaba covers, the manager has now identified a new role for the Austrian star as relayed by AS.

Injury-driven motive

As reported by the Spanish outlet, Alonso has decided to continue using Alaba in midfield this season as was seen in recent pre-season friendlies.

In particular, he sees the player to be a useful option to fill in the defensive midfield as Aurelien Tchouameni’s backup.

Finding a new home in midfield. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

His decision to shift Alaba higher up the pitch has a whole lot to do with the player’s recent ACL injury that kept him out of action for over a year.

The veteran defender’s ACL tear coupled with a meniscal tear have highly limited his ability to have bursts of pace or stay agile, something that is vital for a Real Madrid defender who must track back instantly to prevent counter-attacks.

Retaining Alaba as a centre-back, thus, makes no sense for the new manager. Concurrently, however, Alonso values his distribution and vision and sees the defensive midfield to be a position where he can maximise his strengths with minimal exposure of his flaws.

Playing as a holding midfielder is not new to the Austrian star who has played in the middle of the park for both his national team and for Bayern Munich in the past.

The hope is that Alaba’s technical quality can be boosted and maximised for the team’s benefit in the position.