More often than not, Real Madrid has its finances in order and are an example to other clubs. However, this one defender is an example of the contrary.
Real Madrid is just coming off the back of their worst season in recent history. For Real Madrid to go without winning either the Champions League or La Liga is considered an underwhelming season by themselves and others - these are just the standards Los Blancos are held to.
It's the end of an era for Real Madrid. They will see club legend Carlo Ancelotti depart the club and in his place, former player Xabi Alonso will sit in the hot seat. A fresh approach is exactly what Real Madrid needs, and hopefully, the Spaniard will begin asking difficult questions.
One question that must be asked to the Real Madrid hierarchy is - Why is David Alaba paid so much, considering Real Madrid has been getting such little in return?
Overpaid Real Madrid defender robbed Los Blancos blind this season
For a large chunk of his Real Madrid career, David Alaba has been plagued by injuries. Through no real fault of his own, Alaba has struggled to get a firm grip on his form, and that's definitely been the case this season.
Coming back to action towards the end of the season, the Austrian defender looked worse for wear. On a few occasions, most notably against Arsenal in the Champions League, he was a liability for Real Madrid.
Of course, fans can excuse his performances as rustiness. However, there must be a time where a player who is paid €22.5m per year (€433k per week) switches on, and it just hasn't happpened yet.
So, while David Alaba's poor form can be excused from a fan perspective, and rightly so, the clock is ticking from a hierarchy perspective. If Alaba is the second-highest-paid player at Real Madrid, he must be held to tighter deadlines.
The fact of the matter is that Real Madrid didn't see a return on their investment with Alaba. They paid him an extortionate amount to sit on the treatment table for most of the season, and then cost the team when he came back to action.
This isn't a campaign for Alaba to be sold, but if the decision to keep him is made, then surely he's entering last chance saloon.