Real Madrid, Bayern Munich set to swap Lucas Vazquez, David Alaba

It has been widely reported that Lucas Vazquez has rejected Real Madrid's offer for a contract renewal. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich announced back in November that they will be cutting ties with defender David Alaba. Recent reports suggest that a free transfer swap is about to take place with the two players switching sides.

Alaba has long been linked with the Spanish giants and it is believed that it is only a matter of time before an announcement is made. Vazquez meanwhile, has an expiring contract with Real Madrid. It has been reported that he has made the decision to leave the club after rejecting the latest offer by Florentino Perez. There haven't been any strong rumblings about ties to another club until the swap deal was recently reported.

If the "trade" comes to fruition, both players will still end up in world-class clubs that are at the top level. With a free transfer likely to occur in both directions, it will also be a beneficial deal for both clubs.

Many clubs are facing challenges when it comes to renewing the contracts of their players largely because of the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Pay cuts are being implemented across many football organisations and players are unable to re-negotiate contract terms in the same fashion as they would have in pre-pandemic times.

The financial strain the the pandemic has caused is giving even the biggest teams some major problems. Both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are set to lose their captains at the end of the season if a compromise isn't reached with Ramos and Lionel Messi.

Sergio Aguero has likewise announced that he is set to leave Manchester City after a decade with the club. The Argentine has established himself as the English club's all-time leading goalscorer, but has only appeared a limited number of times this season mainly due to injury. It is believed that FC Barcelona has offered him a deal in order to help them convince Messi to stay despite potentially facing a pay cut.