Reds await Xabi Alonso bid

Florentino Perez takes up his role this morning as Real Madrid president for the second time, with his election manifesto of bringing Xabi Alonso ringing through the ears of Madridista’s.

Perez held the post at Madrid between 2000 and 2006, twice being voted in, but resigned in 2006 after the Galactico’s policy failed to work and Madrid found themselves going nowhere fast.

His recent presidential campaign saw him insisting that he would bring Liverpool’s Alonso to the club and speculation is rife that he will put forward a deal that will test Liverpool’s financial resolve and ambition.

With Liverpool £7 million short on a possible Carlos Tevez deal the pressure on the reds boss will be extraordinary.  It is unclear about Alonso’s intentions, but the players lack of comment in recent weeks may mean that he himself fancies the journey back to his nation’s capital.

It is believed that a £23 million + Gabriel Heinze bid will come in for Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso.  Rumours over the weekend suggesting that Liverpool have lost out to Man City for Tevez and Gareth Barry only heighten the difficult situation at Anfield.

Benitez himself spoke yesterday about the situation – in what could have been described as a coded warning to the Anfield hierachy not to derail his ambitions for the club.

“The situation is clear, we do not want to sell our best players and that includes Xabi.

“He had a very good season for us and can be an important player in the future. There is no agreement with Real and we want him to be part of our plans going forward.

“Xabi himself said only two weeks ago that he was looking forward to his sixth season as a Liverpool player. Why should he want to leave now?

“Xabi’s agent came to see me recently to talk about the future. It was a surprise for me and I pointed out to him there were three years left on Xabi’s contract.

“I asked him if the player was happy in Liverpool and he said yes. It was a short meeting.”

The transfer season is in full swing and if Alonso himself genuinely wants to stay at Liverpool this is going to be a major test of the club owners resolve.