Liverpool Football Club agreed a deal with Real Madrid for midfielder Xabi Alonso, this evening.
After a long drawn out summer transfer saga which has had many reds fans upset, frustrated and tired of the uncertainty surrounding the talented midfielder, it finally seems like the move to Real Madrid will be going ahead subject to a medical.
Liverpool Football Club say the terms of the deal will remain confidential and undisclosed. But reports suggest that the fee is believed to be around £30m.
Subject to a medical we seem set to sign Roma’s Alberto Aquilani as Xabi’s replacement though from what i’ve seen he’s much more of a goal threat.The worry is that he seem’s injury prone but so is Owen,i’m sure the medical staff will give him a good workout and recognise any serious injuries!.Should still have money left over so hope Rafa brings in a forward before the transfer window closes.
Xabi was a good player but not in the class of Torres or Gerard.We’ll only miss him when we lose otherwise he’ll be forgotten within months!!!
Thanks Xabi for all you have done for the team. I wish you well in the future, Except when you play against Liverpool …obviously.
Oh well, he’s finally gone and now the saga has reached the end. Now it’s time to sort out the 1st team properly rafa but for godsake we MUST keep mascarano, he will be the player we need this season. I would like to see a WORLD CLASS striker arrive to help Torres, will or can they get Villa? Come on Liverpool it’s been a long time.
For the last 5 years Liverpool have been a team that plays largely on the counter attack. They soak up pressure, usually winning the ball back deep in their own half of the field. when a team plays like this it becomes imperative that the team has players that can keep the ball. Obviously if you squander possession deep in your own half, then you invite pressure onto the team in a dangerous area of the field. Alonso has been brilliant for Liverpool at retaining posession particulalry in deep areas.
However, playing this way has its limitations and so far hasn’t delivered a title. The best football Liverpool have played under Benitez was in the last few months of last season, where they were less cautious, threw plenty of men forward and pressed high up the field. During attacks they were able to get plenty of players in the opposition penalty box which culminated in some players giving an impressive return of goals such as Torres, Gerrard, Kuyt and Benayoun. This was despite the fact that Liverpool only had one recognised striker following the sale of Robbie Keane. However, rather than struggling for goals, they finished top scorers.
If Liverpool contnue to play this way then they will not miss Alonso to any great extent. His qualities are about ball retention and holding midfield rather than scoring or creating goals. When you take the game to the oppostion these qualities become less important. It becomes more important to have players capable of creating and scoring goals, particulalry from wide areas as the majority of teams nowadays like to stay compact and ‘park the bus’. If Liverpool can add soem players that are capable of scoring and creating particuallry from wide, and we’ve seen the impact Riera has had already, then they can end the long wait for the title. To get £30m for a player They might be able to do without is good business.
agreed with paul … a move for alonso is just like “there’s are sun behind the hills” and once a new player comes in .. we will see a different strategy, maybe formation and attacking skill from the kops !! i hope rafa genius this time to buy a new replacement player … hopes it’s not like last season new players
Finally.
GOODBYE Alonso. Neverending Story. Nice to have you here, but who wants to keep a player who wants to play for Real? Now we buy something better and new. This is the best news all summer. Best buy Benitez ever did? They always talk about bad signings. Alonso must have been Liverpools best signing ever.
This must be the best night in Liverpools history. If we only think players.
The next days will tell us what Rafa has been planing all summer. I wanted to keep Alonso, but for that kind of money, who wouldn`t sell him?
It will be a pleasure to beat you again Real. In the semi finals?
Give Rafa some credit for his signings. This must have been the best in years.
Hey i’m from the Netherlands. But still i’m a huge liverpool fan. Don’t worry about Xabi, he was as they say: ”a talented player”. nothing more and nothing less. A great club like liverpool should have a better replacement in no time. Besides the 30m can be invested in a new player and maybe some new talents.
@ neill: I don’t think that liverpool needs new strikers, Liverpool has the best striker in the world ”el nino”. Besides when you have Torres as CF, and Gerrard as a AMF, with Riera and Kuyt/Babel as wing players, youhave nothing to complain about. They are all world class players who can score a goal, or in Torres his case more then 20 a season.
Liverpool is great as it is, and since ManU lost their number 7 Cristiano Ronaldo, they lost the most important player. Because who will score the goals out of free kicks ? NO ONE ! With CR gone, ManU is nothing, just wait and see. If the reds are consistend this season, they have a great chance to be crowned champions at the end.
hi,nanu yes torres is the best striker in the world but remember el nino was injured last season for a while that was the difference in liverpool not winning the league we need another finisher like torres or as near as.you say about kuyt/babel playing as wingers yes they are good at that or even put them up front they might score you a goal,but they will not guarantee you a goal like torres so if torres is injured then i think it would be nice to replace him with a guaranteed goal scorer.
Its ridiculous, if the swap deal was true…Then why the hell didn’t we go for huntelaar?! Absolutely nuts considering we get a big sum of money on top
paul,yes you are right.we are cool,and we will always keep the faith.we all have hope in our heart aswell
why did we not bargain to get a player along with the money for alonso? all the players we have been linked with as replacements are not going to cost anything close to his price and we could have secured another striker or winger . i just don’t understand.
There you go…. Liverpool FC will not force any players that dont want to stay and play for them. Pack your things and back to where you belong. Rafa now can get the $$$$$ and find a replacement. I hope we can sign 1 or 2 more players. Alonso is just a past now. Focus to the new era. Liverpool will become the Champion one day.
I understand the reasons for Xabi going, but wanted to keep him. It is hard to swallow – we are not a selling club. Hope Rafa gets to use all the transfer money to spend on quality replacement(s). It’s a big season coming up for us. We need to make sure it is US who win number 19 and not that shower from Old Trafford.
if your reading this you might be worried that Xabi has gone .Let me dust away your worries 1. Xabi wanted to go 2 Rafa wanted to sell him last year .3 Xabi was good but not good enough for us to win the league 4 so you think that theres no one better ! 5. Finally the rest of the premiership know Xabi inside out a new player /replacement will help us suprise our competition .Personally I think this could be the key to winning the Premiership .Remember keep the faith . No matter what the future holds we are cool
shame to see alonso go i would off liked to see are team stay together this season but 30m is good business.i just hope he can be replaced and then have the rest of the money to go towards a good striker might turn out a good sale in the end.i hope and pray!