Alaba joins Okoye at Udinese

Austrian defender, David Alaba, arrived Italy on Wednesday to complete a move to Udinese as a free agent, where he will link up with Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Alaba was en route to sign for the Serie A club after medical tests, with formal steps to follow.

Romano added that Udinese had already confirmed the story themselves.

“David Alaba completes medical at Udinese after several options in Italy,” Romano wrote on X.

The development came after Romano earlier disclosed that Alaba had reached a verbal agreement with Udinese, describing the defender as a dream signing for the Italian club.

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Alaba became a free agent after his contract at Real Madrid expired at the end of last season. He joined the Spanish giants in 2021 following a decorated spell at Bayern Munich, where he developed into one of Europe’s most versatile defenders, capable of playing at centre-back, left-back and in midfield.

His time at Real Madrid brought further major honours, although injuries hampered his final seasons in the Spanish capital and limited his game time.

The 33-year-old has Nigerian heritage through his father, George Alaba, while his mother, Gina, is Austrian. He was born in Vienna and represents Austria at the international level.

At Udinese, Alaba is expected to strengthen the club’s defensive options and bring experience and leadership to the dressing room. He will join Okoye, who signed a four-year contract with the Serie A side in August 2023, and has since remained a regular in the Udinese squad while also featuring for Nigeria at the international level.

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