Deadline day: Frustrated Xabi Alonso will decide
his future this weekend
The midfielder does not want to follow the risky strategy
but is keen for talks to re-open.
Xabi Alonso wants his future sorted out before the
weekend but faces the dilemma of whether to go public on his desire
to leave Liverpool for
Real Madrid.
The Spain midfielder has reportedly already told Anfield boss
Rafa Benitez that he wants to be part of the Bernabeu revolution
and is said to be frustrated by the lack of progress on a deal.
Benitez has been determined to hold on to the 27-year-old all
summer, privately quoting a prohibitive £40million price-tag, and
will not back down unless Alonso forces a move with a transfer
request or public declaration.
Bernabeu icon Raul has stepped up the pressure by
enthusiastically welcoming the prospect of playing alongside
Alonso.
'I would like him to come because Xabi Alonso is a great
player,' said the Madrid captain.
'The decision is made by other people at the club and the
technical body, who see what the team need.'
Liverpool are due to fly out for their Asian tour on Saturday
and it is unclear whether Alonso will be on the flight.
Madrid have used various tactics in their pursuit of Alonso
since Florentino Perez took over as president at the start of June
and made a public pitch to bring him to Spain.
In recent days they have publicly said the deal looks unlikely
without closing the door, though alternatives that have been lined
up have proved either as difficult to sign or mere
smokescreens.
Too difficult: Real's interest in Cesc Fabregas
waned over complications to lure the Arsenal captain.
They were knocked back immediately when going for Roma
midfielder Daniele de Rossi while signing Cesc Fabregas
from Arsenal was
seen as fraught with difficulty.
Coach Manuel Pellegrini would like to raid his former
club Villarreal for Santi Cazorla, but the 24-year-old is seen as
more of an attacking midfielder rather than an alternative to
Alonso.
There is also a suggestion that Madrid have been in talks for
several weeks with Javier Mascherano with the thinking that if one
of Liverpool's midfielders leaves, it must be to them rather than
rivals Barcelona.
Udinese's Gaetano D'Agostino would be relatively easy to
recruit, but it is thought Madrid are using their interest in the
Italy international primarily to put pressure on Liverpool to lower
their asking price.
The Spanish giants similarly tried to show the Reds they would
not be ripped off by actually lowering their bid for Alonso to £20m
earlier this week.
A compromise around £32m may well get their man, but there is
still some distance between the clubs' respective valuation and
Madrid are desperate to sell at least five players in the next few
days to fund further spending.
Benitez has lined up Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani as a
replacement for either Alonso or Mascherano, according to reports
in Italy.
