Barcelona president Joan Laporta met David Alaba's agent as talks ended with Real Madrid

Joan Laporta was elected to the highest office at Camp Nou after an intense and heated campaign in the early hours on Monday. Laporta, elected as the Barcelona president for the second time in the history of the club, was seemingly confident of his victory much before the results were announced. He had already begun working on his plans a week earlier, including his meeting with Bayern Munich defender David Alaba’s representatives to discuss a prospective move to Camp Nou.

Barcelona transfer news: Barcelona president Joan Laporta keen on David Alaba transfer 

According to a report by Spanish media outlet AS, Laporta met with Alaba’s representatives – Pini Zahavi and Fali Ramadani last week. He informed the two that in the event of him being elected as the new president, they should wait for a formal offer from Barcelona for the Bavarian centre-back.

It is worth noting that Alaba goes out of contract at the end of the ongoing season. The David Alaba agent has officially confirmed that he will be leaving the Allianz Arena outfit next summer in search of a new challenge elsewhere. His versatility at the back allows him to play in the central defence as well as on the left back, which is one of the main reasons for several clubs across the European continent vying for his signature.

Barcelona transfer news: Real Madrid were frontrunners to sign David Alaba 

Besides, at the age of 29, the Austrian international will join any prospective club on a free transfer. And Laporta is well aware of the stiff competition that he will have to face in his pursuit to land the Bavarian centre-back. Apart from Real Madrid, several top clubs in the Premier League are also monitoring his situation.

Real Madrid were considered the frontrunners to sign Alaba. In fact, some reports also suggested that the two parties had a verbal agreement and only a formal announcement was missing. But, recent reports in Germany suggest those talks have broke down, making the LaLiga heavyweights virtually out of contention.

Real Madrid backtrack on David Alaba transfer 

The defending LaLiga champions have now appeared to backtrack on their commitment to meeting his paycheque demands, citing struggling finances as per Sport Bild. The player has also begun negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) instead, who possess the financial ability to sign him. Meanwhile, some Premier League clubs are also in the race to land him next summer.

Image courtesy: David Alaba, FC Barcelona Twitter