Chance of Real Madrid move for Xabi Alonso

May 31 2008 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

JUVENTUS’S hopes of capturing Xabi Alonso are under threat with Real Madrid poised to enter the race to sign the Liverpool midfielder.

The Spanish club have admitted defeat in their open pursuit of Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo after the newly-crowned European champions threatened to report them to FIFA over their conduct in trying to tempt the Portuguese winger to the Bernabeu.

With Ronaldo remaining at Old Trafford, Real are now looking at alternative high-profile captures to satisfy their supporters and Alonso, a Spanish international with 40 caps, fits the bill.

President Ramon Calderon said: “You can’t buy what the owner doesn’t want to sell. We have not interfered with Manchester United’s contract agreement with Cristiano Ronaldo. We’re sorry that Manchester United, a club with which we have an excellent relationship, is annoyed with us.

“I want to clear this up and assure them we are not going to influence any player to break a contractual relationship. We are not going to start a conflict. If a club doesn’t want to sell a player, why would we insist that they do sell him?”

Juventus remain keen to reunite Alonso with Momo Sissoko, his former colleague in the heart of the Liverpool midfield, but the Basque-born player is keen to keep his options open.

One of Juventus’s directors, Jean-Claude Blanc, met with Anfield officials last week and was warned that it would take an offer in the region of £16million to prise Alonso away.

At the time, Liverpool stressed that they did not need to sell the player but with Gareth Barry expected to arrive from Aston Villa next week, the 26-year-old is resigned to accepting his days with the club are numbered.

His agent Inaki Ibanez stated that he had a clear idea that Liverpool would like to sell his client but stressed that a decision would not take place until after next month’s European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland. One sticking point over a potential move to Serie A’s most successful side is Liverpool’s transfer valuation with the Italians reluctant to pay more than £14million for a player who cost Rafael Benitez £10.5m from Real Sociedad when he arrived at Anfield in 2004.

However, Alonso’s price tag would prove no such problem for big spenders Madrid who had been prepared to fork out a world record for Ronaldo.

The player, whose partner Nagore Aranburu gave birth to a son Jon in March, is believed to be holding out for a return to his homeland for his young family.

The Turin-based outfit are under pressure to deliver a big name recruit after already missing out on former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, who opted to join their rivals AC Milan.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s second choice goalkeeper Charles Itandje is attracting interest from FA Cup winners Portsmouth plus former club Lens, who have just been relegated, and fellow French side Rennes.

The 25-year-old, who failed to play in the Premier League last season, saw his only first-team action in seven FA and Carling Cup games.

Rafael Benitez is in the market for a fresh understudy to Pepe Reina and has targeted Itandje’s compatriot Ulrich Rame.