Lazio eyes Alaba – World champion experience for coach Gattuso
The 34-year-old Austrian international David Alaba is clubless after his departure from Real Madrid and is already considered an exciting transfer option for coach Gennaro Gattuso, with his World Cup experience in focus and Lazio Rome actively monitoring him this season.
Alaba's contract with Real Madrid expired in June after five years, so he has been regarded as a free agent since then. The 34-year-old centre‑back has earned 117 caps for Austria and was captain at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Despite numerous rumours linking him with Al‑Sadd, Inter Miami and Red Bull Salzburg, a concrete transfer option has not materialised yet.
Il Messaggero reports that the centre‑back has come into focus at Serie‑A club Lazio Rome, although no concrete enquiry has been made yet. The focus is on a possible transfer option, with the club closely monitoring the situation. They are, among other things, looking for reinforcements in the centre of defence.
Defensive needs after Romagnoli's departure
The 31-year-old Alessio Romagnoli left the club on Thursday for Al‑Sadd in Qatar, leaving a spot in the centre of defence vacant. Lazio now has to find a replacement for the experienced defender and is focusing on free agents. The search for reinforcement is underway while the transfer window in many top leagues has already closed.
Lazio sporting director Angelo Fabiani explained that the market for out‑of‑contract players remains open and that they have deliberately kept a few spots in the squad free to monitor such situations. This keeps the team flexible to act immediately if needed.
Lazio's season start and market for free players
Under coach Gennaro Gattuso, Lazio began with two 1‑0 victories against FC Bologna and Genoa, putting them in sixth place in the table. In defence, the Danish international Oliver Provstgaard (23) and former Bundesliga professional Danilo Doekhi (28) featured. These results show that the team already has a functioning centre of defence, yet the search for additional defenders remains active.
In addition to Alaba, Diogo Leite is also being linked as a potential defensive reinforcement, while Marcelo Brozovic is mentioned as a possible free‑transfer signing. Alaba remains without a new club after his serious knee injury in December 2023, which kept him out of action for more than a year. In total, he has missed 109 games for club and country since the 2023/24 season.
Lazio continues to keep Alaba on their radar and will decide whether the experienced centre‑back can fill the gap in the defence once the transfer conditions are right.