Xabi Alonso, who weeks back told Rafa Benitez of his desire to leave Liverpool, has tried to force Liverpool’s hand by handing in an official transfer request.
According to the Liverpool Echo the player, who was due back training at Melwood today, has now delivered a written transfer request to the club.
Real Madrid have been determined to not pay Liverpool’s full valuation for the player but the transfer request puts a new spin on it.
Rafa Benitez picked up the player from Real Sociedad, and whilst at Liverpool the player has blossomed – and become a regular fixture for his national side. Liverpool paid £10.5 M in what was one of Rafa’s first Liverpool signings.
Liverpool have demanded £30-£35M for the player.
Yesterday Real Madrid’s president changed his stance on the player. After initially telling Liverpool he could look elsewhere for a midfielder he now says:
“It is fundamental that we sign Xabi Alonso. He is a key player to our project.”
» Leave your opinion on Alonso in the forum here
Respect!!!
Thanks Xabi you are a special footballer
When you come to Anfield to play us in CL you will get a great reception from us The Liverpool way! no bitterness!!
But when we beat Madrid again you will have to think was it worth going back to Spain for the better Weather and more Sunshine?
Bobby Robson was a great man cant think of anyone nicer than him .He respected us and when he was England manager he play almost a full Liverpool team. He picked 9 of our English players or was it 7 or 8 not sure but he felt secure with our lads at that time.
Bobby you were and still are the greatest RIP
YNWA THE MIGHTY REDS LFC
i lov you liverpool-steven gerarrd =alonso
What ever. Lets respect his wishes and thank him what he has done for us (especially Istanbul). Good bye Xabi, i wish you all the best. We have a lot of stars and we will get another in a vey soon future.
YNWA
if alonso heart not for anfield then just let him go at the price 35 million euros…after sell alonso just use 20 million to sign huntelaar & 15 million to sign aquilani or sneijder for alonso replacement..thats is a value signing for rafael benitez..come on reds !!!!!!
xabi is a great player and i will be sad to see him leave…. however if we can get aquiliani and silva for the cash that we get it will be some good business
Sure Alonso won’t play with his heart at Anfield anymore. Benitez should just sell him and start looking for other players before the season start. This situation getting worse because we have lost Arbeleo, Alonso start dreaming to Real Madrid and Mascherano agent also claim that his brother want to Barcelona. What if later suddenly the other players also want to be transfer list ??? I cannot think about it. Solve this quickly before too late. Liverpool Fc always the best team in the world.
I think it’s time to accept that Alonso wants to move on so we should get the deal done as soon as possible.A very good player but i’d rather he departed then a Gerard or Torres,in all honesty seeing how Rafa treated him last season would have greatly upset anyone.
Real Madrid make about ten major changes every pre-season so i fully expect his career to be a very short one like many others who have made the move to the Spanish giants.£30 million for him together with the £9 million for Arbeloa and Dossena should give us enough to sign a world class winger and forward that we badly need.
If he wants to go, let him go. No use forcing him to play for us if he wants to play for others. Sad day it will be, if Xabi leaves but I do hope we get a better player for what R.M. would be paying.
Sad to see Alonso go but a new face will be presented to the reds – we will be pleased before Sunday’s game, the face is not Spanish but the name will take the gloom away, I can’t say anymore than that……
Let him go, just because he redeem himself last season after Rafa went for Barry. He can go for £30m that’s the price Madrid have to pay. Remember Owen £8M sold for £17m never again they got money so hand it over all
Dissapointed to hear this news considering these facts:
1) We have just had a fantastic title challenge
2) Rafa’s future at the club is now secure
3) We have had many players signing contract extensions until 2013
4) We have the incentive to claim the Premiership title in 2009/10
If Xabi wants to leave as then he should go. His heart is elsewhere, not with Liverpool Football Club. That speaks volumes and I woudn’t want or expect a player to be at our club against his wishes. Rafa will do what is best for Liverpool and hold out for the sum of his valuation of Alonso and obviously a replacement will follow.
Xabi has done his best for Liverpool and given the fans some truly special memories, Istanbul being the obvious highlight. For the memories I’m grateful Xabi played for Liverpool but I’m suprised and disapointed it has come to this.
The fact is now a deal should be done but i would still hold out for 30 mil, if he is so “crucial” to ‘gloryboys’ plans they should pay and give them a week deadline to stop them messing us around. I honestly believe that he will live to regret going cus they change players more than i have hot dinners but hay xabi’s spanish so fair enuf, just get silva in rafa !!!!!!!!!!!
Spot on Billy, If he’s man enough to sign the contract in ’07 He can be man enough to honour now.
Maybe Liverpool would be due Even more for his sale though. Gotta be something in his contract RE a Buy out Clause.
Play him in reserves for 6 months toteach him a lesson, and then see how much he is valued in Madrid. In the time being Rafa cannot undermine the club by taking silly money, 40m euro and Snieder or tell Real where to go…….
Defo on getting Sneijder in. Creative player with Masch to protect sounds good
I think I speak for all the true reds out there by saying that he will be missed and that he has been a great asset to our beloved club. BUT he has apparently come out and said he wants to leave which we knew he would they were just waiting until we didint have to pay real sociadad any of his follow on fee.
Let him go now, people keep saying he cant affod a bad season because of the world cup,BOLOX he wont get in the first choice squad anyway. If he is forced to stay he will sit there like a spoilt kid (KEANE situation springs to mind)
He hasnt wanted to wear the shirt for the past year as he was being forced out of the team by Masch and that would have been the same this year. With the money we would get for him along with dossena and what we have had for arbeloa we can go out there and throw £40 mill in front of valencia for David Villa. As far as im concerened a deal has been don between us and madrid to sign him already as they pulled out of buying him for some reason. If we get him we will be prem champs this term we need cover for el nino more than scabby alonso.
Come on the REDS
Ok. Now he has finally come out and requested a transfer, Get the ball rolling and accept NOTHING LESS than 35mil i think that would be fair and if Real want him that badly then they will pay up. If not then we keep him and if he sulks, stick him in Reserves for the rest of his contract. Alright he is a great player but i think Masha is more needed in my opinion and with the money that pompey have paid us for Crouch, GO GET DAVID VILLA…….Come on.
Its sad i admit but we have to let him go now. If Rafa forces him to stay his heart wont be in it this season. Get him out as soon as possible aswell to give Rafa time to look for a suitable replacement. If this Aquilani rumour is true i think he’d be an interesting signing, but will he ever be as good as Alonso?
Surely no less than £27, £28 million for Alonso. Madrid’s bullshit about us asking too much! This from a team who payed £80mill for Ronaldo, was it £56mill for Kaka and £30mill for a striker whos done nothing in the game yet (Benzema).
Good price for Xabi then buy a replacement in midfield and a second striker. I think we should try to snatch Huntelaar from under the noses of Spurs, and Aquilani.
Well, I really don’t understand what the hell does he like about R.Madrid!
If they really believe in him as a best midfielder why don’t they offer a proper fee? Please don’t tell me you run out of money!
Goodluck for you Alonso! what a pity to see you playing for the losing team, I wish you keep in mind their last defeat 0-5 on aggregate cause you’ll get used to such results, but not on the winning side anymore..
We’ve all been aware that he wants to go and if he doesn’t want to play for us anymore then let him go I think £27 would be a fair price. The annoying thing with Liverpool is when big players go we never replace them immediately, it wouldn’t suprise me if we dont buy anyone or if we do they will be some kind of Barcelona youth player.
I wish you well Mr Alonso but if you get the chance in training to injur Cuntiano please take it.
Forget this guy! the way God wants to work for Liverpool might be for Xabi to be absent in the squad. That is the way Holy spirit works; a way you don’t expect. I guessed Xabi could be a stubling block to our quest for the Title. He is not the only holding mildfielder in the world. I am very sure he will be heading back to Sociedad in two seasons to come. I guessed he has not learnt what happened to Helb in Barcelona. Enough is enough, transport him to the market, collect the bulks, go shopping for a right replacement and lets FLOT.
xabi, we will miss you. you were a fantastic player and good luck in madrid. i think maybe give dossena and about 4mil for hamsik from napoli and sign david silva and maybe bojan with the money from alonso. silva – a fantastic young winger that can play behind the striker. bojan – sub striker/winger and very young (he plays for barca he’s gotta be good). and hamsik – an alonso/gerrard position. would play a little infront of masch and is young and just as good as alonso.
Let him leave. We don’t need a player who is not bothered about wearing the shirt. Sneijder 4 Reds
Still does not mean we have to sell. If Real don’t meet our valuation they should be told to take a running jump.
Xabi signed his contract extention in 2007 and is being paid well, and in a world cup he can’t afford to sulk if he’s forced to stay.
So Real £30M by Close of play Friday or forget it.
get rid now ! situation going on too long. if he stays he will have average season like he did 07/08. He played fantastic last year but he would not have his heart in it this year. get rid now and get some quality in now. lucas will come good this year and if we keep masch and gerrard fit then we will cope. Bring in another striker to shadow torres. job done !