Wednesday August 5, 2009
Alonso on his way
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is set to join Real Madrid after the Premier League club announced yesterday that they have agreed a transfer fee with the Spanish team.
Real had been engaged in lengthy negotiations over a deal for Alonso in the last few days as Anfield boss Rafa Benitez demanded £30mil for the former Real Sociedad star.
But Alonso made it clear he wanted a transfer and Benitez has finally accepted an offer of around that amount from Real.
“Liverpool Football Club (yesterday) evening confirmed they had reached agreement for the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, subject only to a medical,” a statement on Liverpool’s website said.
“The terms of the deal will remain confidential and undisclosed.”
Real confirmed the agreement in a statement on their website www.realmadrid.com.
The 27-year-old, who joined Liverpool in August 2004 and helped win the Champions League in his first season, will become the sixth high-profile signing by the Bernabeu club this close-season once he passes a medical today and agrees personal terms.
He is the second Liverpool player to join Real in the last week after Alvaro Arbeloa’s £4mil switch.
Real’s spending in the last two months is now well over £200mil.
They have already paid a world record fee of £80mil to lure Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. They also splashed out £60mil to sign Brazilian midfielder Kaka from AC Milan, paid £30mil to land France striker Karim Benzema from Lyon and bought Raul Albiol from Valencia.
Liverpool are now being linked with either a move for Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen or AS Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani, according to The Sun, London.
Danish international Poulsen, 29, has been told he is surplus to requirements at the Stadio delle Alpi.
Earlier, the paper also reported that Liverpool had agreed a £20mil deal in principle for Italian Aquilani, 25.
Italian Aquilani has won 11 full caps and turned down Arsenal and Chelsea when he was 16. — Agencies
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