Udinese have chosen experience as the answer to an increasingly costly defensive problem, moving for free agent David Alaba after a start to the Serie A season marked by goals conceded and repeated lapses at key moments.
The Friuli club have allowed 11 goals in five league matches, leaving them with the fourth-worst defensive record in the division. Only Venezia, on 13, and Fiorentina and Monza, both on 12, have conceded more.
Quick facts
- Udinese have conceded 11 times across their first five Serie A fixtures.
- David Alaba, 34, became available after ending his Real Madrid spell last season.
- He joined Real Madrid in 2021 following a long career at Bayern Munich.
- Udinese’s social-media post featured a chair, recalling Alaba’s Bernabeu farewell.
- Oumar Solet and 2008-born defender Palma are expected back after the international break.
Kosta Runjaic has had to reshape his back line more than once. The sale of Kristensen, Kabasele’s suspension for the opening two rounds, Bertola’s difficult early weeks, and injuries to Solet and Palma have limited his options.
Enzo Ebosse has filled in but has also shown moments of lost concentration. Udinese’s defensive shortcomings have often come from individual errors rather than sustained pressure, with the decisive goal conceded against Cagliari the latest damaging example.
Alaba offers a response of a different order: a decorated 34-year-old defender with experience at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. He had been linked with Serie A in recent weeks, notably Lazio, who were looking at high-profile free agents, while Inter had also been mentioned during the summer.
Udinese accelerated instead. The club’s online teaser, showing a chair, appeared to reference the moment Alaba lifted one towards the crowd during his goodbye at the Bernabeu.
The arrival comes with reinforcements already expected from within the squad after the break. Solet should return, although his future could become a subject again in January should a leading club pursue him, while Palma is also due back.
Palma, one of Udinese’s most promising young defenders, has yet to settle his international future. Italy are considered the leading option, but Germany, Austria and Cameroon remain possibilities through his family background: his father is Austrian-Cameroonian and lives in Trieste, while his mother is in Berlin.
For Udinese, however, the immediate issue is simpler. Runjaic needs his defence to stop turning concentration errors into points lost, and Alaba’s arrival is intended to give the season a steadier foundation.
