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Transfer rumours have been floating around Canada’s star boy and left back Alphonso Davies for quite a while now, however, they have been ramping up lately as certain reports suggest that he could be signing with the Spanish giants Real Madrid after a successful five-year stint in Germany with Bayern Munich.
The 23-year-old Canadian has proven himself on one of football’s biggest stages for the last five years, the Bundesliga. Davies signed for Bayern Munich in 2019 where he has played a total of 127 matches and won 89 of them while netting seven goals as a defender. With Bayern, he’s managed to win the UEFA Champions League, and the Super Cup three times, as well as the Bundesliga title four times.
While Davies’ native nationality is Liberian, he was given a shot to excel in football by Canada, which is where his loyalty lies when it comes to international squad duties. After growing up and playing in Edmonton, Alberta, Davies was scouted by the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS, where he signed a multi-year contract as a homegrown player in 2016.
Davies was the best player for the Vancouver Whitecaps by a mile and was also regarded as the best player in the entire league. He was selected to represent Vancouver at the MLS All-Star game in 2018 at the young age of 17 and put Vancouver on the map as a football city.
After three unbelievable seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Davies was signed by FC Bayern Munich for an MLS transfer fee record of $22 million.
Davies also single-handedly led Canada to their 2022 FIFA World Cup appearance, where he scored Canada’s first-ever goal in a World Cup, with a stunning header against Croatia. Not only has Davies represented Vancouver so well, but he is widely regarded as one of the greatest North American football players in history at just 23 years of age.
His footballing ability has only improved since he arrived at Bayern, which has made him one of the most sought-after left-backs in the entire world. Many teams have been chasing him for a few years now, however, it seems that finally, Real Madrid might prevail in successfully signing one of the world’s best young talents.
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Davies’ contract expires with Bayern at the end of next year, meaning that the German powerhouse could lose the Canadian without receiving a fee if he decides not to extend. However, if he were to leave the club at the end of this season, Bayern could demand a fee for the world-class left back which would be quite hefty.
Real Madrid has reportedly been interested in Davies for quite a while now. Spanish media suggests that Davies has already reached an agreement with Real Madrid, however, Bayern Munich Sports Director Eberl denies that they have even been in contact. Eberl has confirmed, however, that Bayern has made Davies its final offer.
“I can say we made Alphonso a very concrete, appreciative offer,” Eberl told Sports Bild Magazine on Wednesday. “At some point in life, you have to say yes or no.”
Bayern is currently in the midst of one of their worst seasons in the last few years, as they currently sit second in the league, 10 points behind Leverkusen. Considering that Bayern also signed Harry Kane who is widely regarded as one of the greatest goal-scoring strikers of all time, they could easily be atop the league. However, their current standing suggests the club may be experiencing some other issues.
Bayern’s struggles this season could further incentivize Davies to leave the club, especially when Real Madrid are performing so well. Madrid currently sits first in the La Liga standings, eight points ahead of their rivals Barcelona.
Madrid also announced that they would be signing French striker Kylian Mbappé this summer, who is widely regarded as the best football player in the world right now. If Madrid were to sign Davies on top of Mbappé, it’s tough to deny that it would further solidify their position as the greatest football club in the world at the moment.
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Whether Davies decides to stay in Germany or accept his alleged offer to go play at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in front of 81,044 fans in Spain, neither choice will affect his career in terms of trophies and career potential.
Bayern Munich is and always has been the biggest club in Germany. They have the highest transfer budget, the most popularity in and outside of Germany, as well as the best players out of any German club. Bayern are sure to win more trophies in the future, and if Alphonso stays, he will be a massive part of that process.
However, Real Madrid is not only one of the two biggest clubs in Spain next to Barcelona, they are easily one of the biggest clubs in the entire world. On top of their international popularity, Madrid seems to draw in the world’s best footballers, like Kylian Mbappé. They also have an extremely young team with boatloads of talent. Their future is extremely bright, and Davies could make it even brighter.
Wherever he goes, Davies has done a fantastic job in representing not only Vancouver but Canada as a whole. He credits Canada for giving him his opportunities and the chance to succeed and thrive, however, when it comes down to it, Alphonso is just a once in a lifetime kind of player.
Edited By: Ayantika Ghosh