REAL MADRID must now put their money where Xabi Alonso’s mouth is after the Liverpool midfielder handed in a written transfer request.

Alonso has finally made formal his desire to move to the Bernabeu after Rafael Benitez urged the 27-year-old to resolve his future amid growing talk of an Anfield exit.

And having kept up his side of the bargain, the player is sweating on Real agreeing a fee with Liverpool in order to realise his dream of a switch to the Spanish giants.

Alonso’s transfer request ends months of speculation, with Real having expressed a firm interest in signing the Spain international ever since Florentino Perez announced his presidental candidacy at the Bernabeu earlier in the summer.

Benitez has always insisted he didn’t want to sell the player but, with the new season barely a fortnight away, was compelled to press Alonso into a decision this week.

And after previously declining opportunities to guarantee his future was at the club, Alonso has now declared he wants to leave.

Benitez is almost certain to reluctantly agree to granting the request, with the onus now on Real to thrash out a fee. But there is no chance of the player being allowed to leave on the cheap, meaning Real will have to increase their initial offer of £24million to much nearer Liverpool’s valuation of £30m.

While Alonso has been at pains to do things by the book and not upset the Liverpool support, with whom he has built up a great affinity during his five-year stay at Anfield, there are those who believe the player could have tabled his transfer request sooner.

Benitez will now turn his attention to bolstering a squad that has already seen Alvaro Arbeloa depart for Real this week.