Alaba joins Okoye at Udinese

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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.

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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.

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Romano added that Udinese had already confirmed the story themselves.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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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