Re: Xabi Alonso will PROBABLY NOT stay at Anfield, says Herr Onceared
The definitive word on the whole saga (Ballague).....
Liverpool and Madrid take firm stance inches apart
Several readers have asked a similar question: "Hi Guillem, can you clear up what is going on with Alonso? Has his move to Real Madrid broken down. Some say it has, while other report say that he is as good as a Madrid player already. Haven`t deadlines been passed now. What`s going on?"
Following Sunday’s meeting between the two clubs at the Juan Carlos I hotel in Barcelona, the lack of any real developments on Monday led to the circulation of a host of conflicting rumours flooding in to fill the vacuum: with some media reports saying the deal had broken down for good, while others claimed a deal had been struck.
The truth is that very little had changed on Monday and, while no deal has yet been struck, the difference separating the two sides in the negotiations is minimal: around €5 million with add-ons. In other words, with Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid’s number one target, with the player in question wanting to leave and with Benitez aware that the best solution for all parties is some form of agreement – then we cannot draw a line under this saga for the time being. Yet, despite the fact that Rafa Benitez would desperately like this matter resolved as soon as possible – as has been the case all along; Real Madrid are working to their own timetable and as one source close to negotiations said last night: “the differences are small, but small enough to mean that we cannot say that a deal has been struck.â€
The word out of Liverpool is that “nothing has changed since Sunday,†but the fact that the lines of communication remain open and that the two sides are separated by such a relatively small amount means that the slightest showing of flexibility from Anfield or the application of a degree of imagination in Madrid to Real’s financial situation could see an agreement struck in a matter of minutes.
However, at this moment in time, Real Madrid (who could still do with selling a player or two) are insisting that their offer is final – although not for the first time – while Rafa Benitez remains firm in his stance. This is the first time that the Liverpool boss has overseen a player negotiation and been responsible for agreeing the fee (the Glen Johnson fee was pretty much agreed by virtue of the sums owed to Liverpool by Portsmouth) and he is setting out his stall as a tough negotiator. In fairness to Benitez, he wishes to set a precedent that he will not be bullied into a deal, and taking Liverpool’s relative lack of funds in the transfer market into account, it is his best from of defence for the future.
Unfortunately, caught somewhere in the middle of all this, is Xabi Alonso – and I think that the player feels betrayed by the reports that he handed in a formal transfer request. Liverpool insist that Alonso has handed in a written request, while from Alonso’s end, I am told it was only a verbal petition. I am concerned about Xabi’s state of mind following all of this, although the player has told a colleague of mine, before the player boarded his flight out of Barcelona last night, that he is not letting it affect him: “I am detached from it all,†said Xabi, “tomorrow I’ll be in Norway with the team and if something happens, someone will let me know.â€
I have wondered, since all of this began, how Xabi would respond to an offer from another club if he fails to get his move to the Bernabeu and the matter ends in acrimony. However, for the moment, the Real Madrid move is still a possibility and although there are financial differences between the two parties, the relationships between clubs are still intact.
The verbal sparring that took place throughout the respective media in both countries appears to have ceased and - where there was a friendship and respect before all this began – there remains a healthy relationship. At the moment, there are no further meetings between Real Madrid and Liverpool scheduled, but nor have bridges been burned and despite what has been suggested, Benitez is not averse to dealing with Madrid. As one Liverpool source said: “If Rafa had anything against Madrid, he would have held talks with Barcelona over the transfer of Mascherano €“ something that has not happened and nor is it going to.â€
