Manchester United set for huge David Alaba move – and Erik ten Hag could play him out of position: report

Manchester United are chasing Real Madrid superstar David Alaba, as Erik ten Hag brings his side closer to a title-fighting standard.

The Red Devils are on the cusp of a couple of deals after landing Mason Mount from Chelsea, with Andre Onana all but confirmed to join and Rasmus Holjund next on the radar. The combined cost could well exceed £160 million as Ten Hag overhauls the spine of his side.

With Harry Maguire's captaincy rescinded, however, it looks as if the Manchester United manager is targeting some leadership at the heart of the backline – and Real Madrid star Alaba has emerged as an intriguing option.

According to Spanish title Nacional, the Austrian stalwart is wanted to bolster the numbers in defence – giving Ten Hag an intriguing selection headache.

Alaba has emerged as a left-sided central defender since his final couple of seasons at Bayern Munich, where he was forced to play there initially due to an injury crisis. However, Carlo Ancelotti has insisted in the past that the versatile star is actually best in the centre of defence, making for an interesting plot twist ahead, should Ten Hag sign his man.

Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw were two of United's best performers last term, with the former playing centre-back and the latter primarily at left-back – though he filled in centrally on occasion. Both, presumably, would keep their spots as first-choice options in the defence.

But with United also needing a player excellent in buildup and capable in the second phase of play, Alaba may be used deep in midfield alongside Casemiro. He has rarely played there at the top level but according to Le Parisien (via Bild), he allegedly wanted to leave Bayern in the first place in order to play there.

The 31-year-old's move to Madrid coincided with another defensive crisis of sorts, as Los Blancos sold Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane – meaning that he has never got to play in midfield for Ancelotti.

Alaba is valued at €40m by Transfermarkt.

More Manchester United stories

Manchester United transfer news is doing the rounds, with the Red Devils said to be in the market for several stars this summer. 

Andre Onana is wanted in goal, Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani are wanted up front, while wonderkid Vitor Roque has been linked, too. Portuguese teen Joao Neves is on the radar, while his countryman Goncalo Ramos is in the crosshairs. United have also enquired about Theo Hernandez, while Jadon Sancho has been put up for sale.