Alaba Completes Udinese Medical Ahead of Free-Agent Switch

Austrian defender David Alaba arrived in Italy on Thursday to finalise a free transfer to Udinese, where he will become a teammate of Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Alaba will  sign for the Serie A club after undergoing medical tests, with official procedures still to be completed.

Romano also noted that Udinese had already confirmed the development themselves.

“David Alaba completes medical at Udinese after several options in Italy,” Romano posted on X.

The update followed Romano’s earlier report that Alaba had reached a verbal agreement with Udinese, with the transfer expert describing the defender as a dream signing for the Italian club.

Alaba became a free agent after his Real Madrid contract expired at the end of last season. He joined the Spanish giants in 2021 after a decorated spell at Bayern Munich, where he developed into one of Europe’s most versatile defenders, capable of playing as a centre-back, left-back, or midfielder.

His time at Real Madrid brought more major honours, although injuries hampered his final seasons in the Spanish capital and limited his game time.

The 33-year-old has Nigerian heritage through his father, George Alaba, while his mother, Gina, is Austrian. He was born in Vienna and represents Austria at international level.

At Udinese, Alaba is expected to strengthen the club’s defensive options and bring experience and leadership to the dressing room. He will join Okoye, who signed a four-year contract with the Serie A side in August 2023 and has since remained a regular in the Udinese squad while also featuring for Nigeria at international level.