Alonso said: “It’s reassuring to know that Madrid and Liverpool are talking seriously now.

“I decided a long time ago to stay on the margin of everything that was happening.

“My stance has been clear, as you all know. I’m a professional and I must wait for an agreement to be reached, but I hope it is resolved soon, for better or for worse.”

Albert Riera believes Liverpool supporters should not be alarmed by the heavy 3-0 defeat suffered at Espanyol at the weekend.

“I think this kind of match is all about being ready for the start of the season,” said Riera.

“It was a fantastic game for them and they played better than us. They have trained for around 10 days more than us and I think you saw this clearly. When you are in pre-season, 10 days is a lot.

“Some of us came back from our national teams a little bit later and have only had 10 or 12 days’ training. We need a little bit more before the start of the season, but we will be ready.”

Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town have failed in an effort to sign promising defender Martin Kelly on loan despite a successful spell at the Galpharm Stadium last season.