Liverpool FC Forum

[ivor_the_injun]

From the Guardian website...

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Benítez in for £12m Xabi Alonso

Spurs also look to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips

Dominic Fifield
Monday August 9, 2004
The Guardian

Liverpool will attempt to secure the signing of the Real Sociedad midfielder Xabi Alonso this week after agreeing to sell Danny Murphy to Tottenham Hotspur for £2.5m.
Rafael Benítez was at Goodison Park on Saturday to watch the 22-year-old Spain international play the first half of a 2-2 friendly draw with Everton. The Anfield club will instigate talks today and are ready to offer about £12m for a player who interested Real Madrid this summer and more recently attracted scouts from Arsenal.

Liverpool had originally targeted Alonso, primarily considered a defensive midfielder, to succeed Steven Gerrard when the England international appeared intent on a move to Chelsea. Gerrard's subsequent decision to remain at Anfield briefly cooled Benítez's interest, until now.

Should Liverpool's pursuit prove successful Alonso would become his compatriot's second signing, after the arrival of the defender Josemi, another Spaniard.

Benítez retains a tentative interest in Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips though he is reluctant to spend his limited funds on a player he knows little about.

That could work in Tottenham's favour. The Londoners hope to follow up Murphy's signing with that of Wright-Phillips. Their initial bid of £4.5m for the 22-year-old was rejected and they upped it to £5.5m last night, but City value him at twice that amount.

"I'm not surprised that there's interest in Shaun given that he is one of the Premiership most talented young players," said a City spokesman. "Shaun is pivotal to our future plans and we have no desire to sell him. Negotiations are under way as regards a new contract."

The midfielder has two years to run on his current deal but his friendship with the Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe could tempt him to move to White Hart Lane.

Regardless, Tottenham are confident of completing Murphy's transfer in the next 48 hours despite the threat of late interest from Everton and Charlton. Murphy's surprise sale after a seven-year association with Liverpool will leave Benítez's side stretched in midfield for their Champions League qualifier against Grazer AK in Austria tomorrow, not to mention for the start of the Premiership season next weekend.

In the likely absence of the injured Gerrard, Benítez is likely to favour a quartet of Harry Kewell, Dietmar Hamann, Salif Diao and Steve Finnan at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium.

Liverpool's interest in Alonso has also illustrated the shift in favour after the managerial change in the summer. Benítez has instigated something of a cull of the ancien régime's playing squad, most notably loaning out a succession of recruits from French football and replaced them with two Spaniards. Liverpool's squad suddenly appears to need urgent strengthening, with the sale of Emile Heskey to Birmingham, a host of players sent out on loan for a season, El Hadji Diouf set to join the exodus this week, most probably to Málaga, Milan Baros's desire to join Barcelona and the absence of Vladimir Smicer, whose ruptured knee ligaments will confine him to the treatment room for six months.

[stapo1000]

if we do buy a new right winger we wont have him for the cl cos the deadline for registering players was thursday

[ivor_the_injun]

That deadline was for the 3rd qualifying round (ie: against GAK) only. The deadline for registering players for the group stages is Sep 1, so as long as we get past that lot Benitez has got a few weeks yet.

Check out http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/19071.pdf

[stapo1000]

i stand corrected

[anfieldadorer]

I just can't believe the price

[azriahmad]

Me too, anfieldadorer.

12 million is way too steep for unless he is established like Viera. Even the 16 million paid by Chelski for Makelele was way over the top, but then Chelski since the Abramovic ownership has been paying stratospheric prices for players.

it would be nice to see them flop to finishing 3rd or even fail to qualify for the CL and see what happens to Maurinho, although I doubt they will fail to qualify for the CL at least because like if ot not, Maurinho is a very good coach and with the strength of his signings, Chelski should be a better side.

[LFC #1]

he is an established Spqnish international, a key player for Real Sociedad, and Real Madrid were chasing him so I don't expect him to be anything less than 10 million.
He is a very good player, 12 million perhaps a bit steep, ideally he would be 8-9 million, but that is they way football is today.

[azriahmad]

If we were a Spanish club chasing a Spanish based player, the fee would be justifiable as he is an international player.

We are not a Spanish club but an English one and there is the little matter of the risk of him being unable to adept to the hustle and bustle of the Premiership. That is the main reason behind my reservation on his price.

[anfieldadorer]

and remember, defender's price is normally lower than striker's or mid's with (approximately considered) equal capacity. So if he's rated 12M, he's probably rated above Cisse.

[LFC #1]

he is a midfielder not a defender.

[anfieldadorer]

Oops! Sorry.
I don't know why i thought he's a defender 

[desperado0831]

halo everyone.....i need some space to breathe after realize that all our rumours are around spaniards

better we grab wright-phillips although alonso is a highly-rated player.cheap wat...2-4m

come on.....use your brain...price tag is not a guarantee matter for a player.

[kewellfan7]

Why 12? We don't know how he'll settle into the premier league.

Just hope Rafa isn't the next Houllier i.e he's signing spaniards
just like houllier was signing frenchmen.

[begintoend]

Hmm, than what kinda players will settle very well in the EPL and certainly help the team to achieve their goals??

[woof woof !]

Alonso would be an excellent addition to our team. Man U were sniffing around him last season and back in April he looked a dead cert for a move to Real Madrid . £10-£12mill is not an inflated price for a player of his quality. He has a buy out clause in his contract of £30 million euro  (£20 mill) thats how highly he is rated by his current club should he want to leave without their agreement .