The signing of David Alaba by Real Madrid last summer was as much of a “no-brainer” as you get in football.

The defender is a brilliant player, he was the perfect age, and available on a free transfer after winning it all at Bayern Munich.

Transfer rarely work out as well clubs expect – but in this case Madrid got everything they were hoping for and more. Los Blancos ended up with a Champions League and La Liga title after his first year, as the Austrian slotted in right away.

Sport point out that he has a ridiculous win rate of 69% in the Champions League, the best record of any player – level with his former teammate Thomas Muller.

That’s 71 of the 103 he’s played, and having only just turned 30, he could easily racked up another 50, potentially improving that incredible record even further with Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni joining him this year.

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