Real Madrid have officially agreed a £30m deal for Xabi Alonso, opening the door for Alberto Aquilani to join Liverpool.
The news had been in the air for some time, but this evening it was confirmed that the Spanish international will make the move, subject to a medical.
Rafa Benitez was expecting this and has already taken steps to rebuild his squad, as a deal with Roma midfielder Aquilani has been in the works for several weeks.
Now that Alonso is ready to complete the transfer, Liverpool can make an official offer to the Giallorossi of roughly £15.5m.
His contract would be a five-year deal worth £3m per season to play in the Premier League.
Roma have made it clear that they need to sell in order to finance any new moves, while Aquilani is the chosen ‘sacrificial lamb’ because they have an abundance of players in midfield.
There is also the element of concern over his fitness, as the Italian international has barely played in the last six months due to a recurring right ankle problem.
He underwent surgery to clean up the injury on May 13 and is still in the rehabilitation process.