Udinese have confirmed the signing of Austria captain David Alaba on a free transfer, with the defender agreeing a contract that runs until 30 June 2027.
Official confirmation
The Serie A club announced on 24 September 2026 that Alaba is a new Udinese player after his Real Madrid spell ended by mutual agreement at the close of the 2025–26 season. Real Madrid’s official statement of 22 May 2026 recorded that Alaba had made 131 appearances for the Spanish champions across five seasons and thanked him for his part in one of the club’s most successful periods.
Born in Vienna on 24 June 1992, the 34-year-old arrives in Friuli with a CV built at the highest level. Udinese’s announcement listed 431 appearances and 33 goals for Bayern Munich between 2010 and 2021, and 117 caps with 15 goals for Austria, where he has long been a senior reference point.
Why Udinese moved
Director general Franco Collavino framed the deal as a statement of ambition rather than a short-term stopgap. “Signing David Alaba is a source of enormous satisfaction for the whole club,” he said. “We are welcoming an established champion, a leader and an exemplary professional. His arrival shows Udinese’s desire to grow, compete at a high level and build an increasingly ambitious squad.”
For a club that has repeatedly punched above its weight in Serie A, landing a player with multiple Champions League titles at Bayern and Real Madrid is a clear signal of intent for the sporting project.
Alaba’s first words
In his first comments as an Udinese player, Alaba struck a clear note. “I have lived through many experiences and won a lot in my career, but one thing has not changed: I still want to win. I still want to compete. And I still want to achieve something special. That is the mentality I bring to Udinese.”
He stressed that he is not arriving simply to be the experienced voice in the dressing room or to wind down his career. “I am still too ambitious for that and I still strongly believe in what I can do on the pitch. I want to push again, perform at the highest level in Serie A week after week and achieve something. I am very excited about this challenge and I still have a lot to prove to myself.”