Madrid’s attempt at calling Liverpool’s bluff has failed and the Spanish club look set to increase their offer in an attempt to close the Xabi Alonso transfer deal by the weekend.
Xabi is due to return to training with his Liverpool players ahead of a Far East tour this weekend, and tomorrow the original deal involving Xabi’s former club Real Sociedad expires. Any sale of Alonso before then would involve Sociedad pocketing 20% of any transfer value.
Liverpool had flatly rejected a £22M offer from Madrid, insisting the player was valued at £35M. This led to Madrid telling the media that they would look elsewhere – but a lack of negotiation from the reds has reminded Madrid that Liverpool were serious about their valuation.
It now seems that Real are ready to move to a deal worth either £32M in cash or £22M plus a player, likely to be Wesley Sneijder, the 25 year old Dutch midfielder and current holder of the number 10 shirt at Real.
If the deal comes off, the reds will aim to ease the financial burden on Rafa’s former club Valencia by attempting to bring £20M David Silva to Anfield to bolster the reds attacking options.
After 5 years at Anfield, it seems that Xabi Alonso – finally – is heading out the Anfield exit. Liverpool must ensure proceeds from the sale are used wisely to improve the squad.
Alonso is class, he should stay and finish the Mancs off, everybody would send him off with a parade if he helped take the title from mancville, he’s still young and he won’t become a bad player after one more season, Rafa has not shown him the love and it’s time to keep what we have , add another star (Villa/Silva) and we can keep the honour of the most titles won. Selling Alonso , for me, is a bad decision, want to do us all a favour Rafa ? GIVE Lucas away !!The future of Brazilian football !!…..as Jim Royle would say ….MY ARSE !!!
IMO Alonso was the best player last season but what about the two before that ? in all honesty they were not that great for him (flashes of greatness but not as inspirational as his first and this last season )
The problem now is if he stays and dose not want to were will his head be ?,will we see the inspirational Xabi that marveled us last season or a decent passing player who gets caught in possession and disappears far too often. He may be professional but if he really dose want to go then his heart and soul wont be in it at Anfield, in tough games were we will need to dig deep you need the big boys 200% committed because that lifts and inspires everyone and i just don’t know if Xabi would be that way.
Don’t get me wrong tho id love him to stay because he’s a great holding midfielder,if we were to have more of last seasons Alonso + keep Masha i would be happy just to get 1 more signing (Silva/ Villa) in and start the new season full of hope . Y.N.W.A.
Either Xabi is homesick or unable to forgive Rafa for attempting to sign Barry behind his back last season.Either way no player is bigger then the club so it’s time for both LFC and Xabi to part company.
£32 million is good money for which i’d expect two good players to be purchased.Thanks for the memories Xabi but when your career goes pear shaped don’t knock on our door expecting salvation!.
I think from a business point of view this is sound. In business sometimes sacrifices need to be made. If we can lessen the sacrifice by selling only Xavi (who wants to go)and keeping Javier then this has to be good. To then get a very versatile attacking midfielder and 22-25 mil spare to buy someone like Villa/Silva/posibly hijak Pato then this looks like a gamble with great odds. We love Xavi yes, but is he the single key person to us winning the prem league…. no. Javier can hold that midfield like no other in the world, we must not loose him. However he does need decent back up and that does not lie with Lucas who is as good as my mum.
I think this is good times if we get Sneijder and 1 other. If this happened there’d be no cause for concern if Torres or Gerrard missed the odd game, goals will still flow.
We must keep Xabi! The lad was player of the season for us in my eyes last season, He controls the play. The only other player able to do that for us is Stevie, and that means he will not have a license to roam forward as much. I think selling Xabi is step backwards, especially if the rumours are true that we are getting Sneijder, who is an attacking player rather than holding…
YNWA – Scoot
we shud do the 22mil n wesley snijder and attemp to buy silva would do us good
At least we have to include Wesley Sneijder in the deal. If its true i really want to thank Alonso for everything he done. Specially for the goal he scored 2005 UEFA final. I will never forget that penality. Wish you all the best. But please dont leave us.
YNWA
if we could get 22 mil plus sneijder that would be a great deal hes a quality player and with a dutch contingent already at anfield i think he would fit right in,add silva or villa to the mix and thats a strong side
in Rafa we trust!
ok…mebe the time to go is near 4 xabi…but we need not 1 but 2 players plus 25M…that will be some deal…. Robben and Sneijer would be good…o Huntelaar…but this could be blessing in disguise…. lets pray Rafa gets a bargain..
If its true and Alonso wants to go I would take the 22mil and Sneijder then get silva and concentrate on pre season.
nice to hear that deal..hopefully sneider can come to anfield because this playmaker can play for more position like left/right wing and centre midfield. the rest of money can use to buy david silva or maybe klass jan huntelaar for partnership with fernando torres at upfront forward. By the way, must keep mascherano to stay at anfield then liverpool will be more powerful at new season of epl to get the league title…come on reds……….you`re never walk alone
In fairness, if this is true, it isn’t a bad offer. Sneijder is a decent player and at least will provide an automatic repalcement without us having to spend money on anyone. It will be a shame to see Xabi go but ask yourself this question. Why do we want a player that does not want to play for Liverpool? Secondly, any player that is interested in joining the circus that is Real Madrid serioulsy needs to think long and hard about it. Will he get a regular game? Will the same coach be at the Bernabeu come Christmas? Who else will be joining them in January or next summer? If Alonso feels Madrid is a better bet than us despite all of the uncertainty then fair play to him. He will not be loved in Madrid like he has been here and more fool him for going
would be sad to see alonso go, he has been quality, especially last season, but if his heart is not at the club, then go! we want players who would die for the shirt! not players who dream of foriegn teams.
i have had this view that if the deal as has been told for months now, and the figure is indeed a total net worth is to be £32 – 35 mill for alonso which rafa and the club have said over and over again, then i think that with the comments form the clubs offical website ” we are not interested in spanish based players being part of the swap deal in coming to lfc” it was close to the above statement.
so for me if sneijder is fit, and he actaully wants to come to lfc, and if rafa sees that he has the mentality then sneijder plus 22 cash for alonso id great buisness.
sneijder is young, he has 4 years ahead of him, maybe his best years, maybe a new challenge ahead the year before a world cup year could be great for both him and lfc. kuyt and babel would help him settle.
add to this the cash injection for rafa and his number one target silva.
look at this;
REINA
JOHNSON CARRAGHER AGGGER INUSA
KUYT MASCHERANO SNEIJDER SILVA
GERRARD TORRES.
i know that sneijder is not proven but he is on his day one of the best playmakers / creative midfielders about and maybe with javier beside him to do all the donley work that would let liverpool play higher up the pitch, wesley isnt slow too, so this enables lfc to play with a quicker tempo.. its a bit of a risk but then thtas life, alonso with the ball, the way he directs the play is the best in the world but maybe liverpool to change or even tweak the system would be good?
well said and exactly how i feel