Chelsea is being linked to Bayern Munich’s David Alaba. It is the exact type of rumor one can expect in the build up to their next match.
The Phillipe Coutinho rumor had been going on forever, but it really seemed to ramp up as the Champions League fixture between Chelsea and Bayern Munich approached. It did not go away afterwards, but the need for a player like Coutinho dissipated and the match faded from view. The rumor was not attractive anymore.
Coutinho is not the only Bayern player the Blues have been linked to however. David Alaba is also in the rumor mill thanks to his dwindling contract and the build up to the match. This is the exact kind of rumor that the Blues should be expecting as they prepare to travel to Germany in a few days’ time.
What makes this type of rumor, like the Coutinho rumor, so pervasive? Well it sells for one. Two clubs about to face each other with one of their players linked to the other side? That is high drama that fans love to speculate about. It usually only ever happens in one direction, but with the two on level footing, it is going in the direction of the team with the means to pull it off.
But it cannot be as simple as that. After all, Chelsea is not linked to Coutinho anymore despite Bayern being pretty well done with him. That is because the Blues do not have a need for a player like that. Alaba is a different story.
Chelsea’s left backs have struggled the last few years, though Marcos Alonso seems to be able to steady his ship time and time again. Even still, the Blues need a new left back. They probably need a new center back too, as well as another option for defensive midfield other than N’Golo Kante. The club has been linked to the likes of Ben Chilwell and Declan Rice, but both seem very hard to acquire from their respective clubs.
But there is just enough in the Alaba rumors to make it fill that hole. He can play left back and center back as well as in midfield if required. He has supposedly been looking for a new challenge for what feels like forever. His contract is running low and he would be an improvement over nearly every player Chelsea has to perform similar roles. Put two and two together and it makes sense for Chelsea to be interested.
That would be if there was much of a chance for this to happen of course. It looks good on paper, but it still feels like the driving force behind the rumor is that a match between Chelsea and Bayern Munich is approaching. The Blues need a particular type of player, the German side has that type of player and it is possible that he leaves, the story writes itself. It sells papers and generates clicks.
What will be truly telling is if the rumors continue after the match. Then there may be more fire to this smoke than there seems to be right now. But until then, take any Alaba rumor with a hefty grain of salt.