Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their attempts to sign David Alaba, with Bild reporting that Bayern Munich will keep him beyond January.
The Austrian has been expected to leave the Bundesliga giants in the next January transfer window, but there appears to have been a change in the saga.
Liverpool have been linked with signing Alaba in order to help ease their defensive issues, but their hopes seem to have been dashed.
This latest report claims that Bayern will now keep hold of the 28-year-old until the end of the season, with Hansi Flick seeing him as too important to sell.
It means Alaba could leave on a free transfer next summer, when his current contract expires.
Read Liverpool Verdict
I don’t think it ever looked concrete that Liverpool would buy Alaba, by any means, but it is still a shame to see him likely staying put.
The defender is a world-class player who has been at the top for a decade, thriving in several positions for Bayern.
His experience and quality could have been a great addition to Liverpool’s back-line, allowing him to slot in at both centre-back and left-back, filling the Virgil van Dijk-shaped void and affording Andy Robertson more of a rest, with Kostas Tsimikas still finding his feet.
