Source: Telegraph
Liverpool's Xabi Alonso hands in transfer request to open door to Real Madrid
The whispers regarding Alonso's desire to leave Merseyside for La Liga have grown ever louder during the close season and reached an inevitable crescendo on Thursday with the 27 year-old stating his wish to join the Spanish side.
Although officials at Anfield refused to formally confirm Alonso's actions, sources within the club stated that after a summer's procrastination, he has finally put his plans down on paper after making his mind up during a holiday in San Sebastian.
As a result, Real Madrid are likely to bid in the region of £30 million for the Spanish international.
"It is fundamental that we sign Xabi Alonso," Real president Florentino Perez said. "He is a key player to our project."
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has made no secret of his wish to keep the player and earlier this month declared that Alonso "owed" him his loyalty because the Anfield club brought him to the world's attention following his move from Real Sociedad in 2004.
Talks with the player during Liverpool's recent pre-season tour to Thailand and Singapore did little to convince Alonso that he should indeed heed Benitez's advice and a deal is now expected as soon as possible to minimise the disruption to the remainder of the close season.
The figure Madrid are willing to pay, while representing a superb return on the £10.7 million Benitez paid for him, will only partly assuage the disappointment on Merseyside regarding Alonso's departure.
Following last year's second place finish in the Premier League, there was a distinct belief around the club that this season could finally be the season that Liverpool ended the domination of arch-rivals Manchester United.
Alonso was a key component of that optimism, along with the form of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, so Benitez's first job will to be to convince his players, and perhaps himself, that Liverpool will still be serious title contenders without him.
However, it is not all gloom for Liverpool. The sale of Alonso, alongside the recent offloading off Alvaro Arbeloa, also to Real for a fee of £3.5 million, and the expected sale of Andrea Dossena to Napoli for £4 million means he now has somewhere in the region of £30 million to spend, despite the club's debt situation.
Owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett recently refinanced the initial loan they took out to purchase Liverpool in 2007 but as part of the deal they need to hastily clear £60 million of the club's £230 million debt with £30 million required immediately.
However, Benitez has been assured that money generated from transfers will not have to be used to clear that burden. As a result, he is expected to re-launch his attempt to lure David Silva from Valencia, despite the player's protestations that he is happy in Spain, as well as looking at Roma's Alberto Aquilana.
Athletico Bilbao's Javier Martinez is also believed to be a possible target and in a further twist, the Liverpool manager is also reported to be interested in the combustible Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole.
