Liverpool Daily News
Liverpool FC agree fee for Xabi Alonso with Real Madrid - Liverpool FC latest news
Aug 4 2009
LIVERPOOL FC's Xabi Alonso is poised to sign for Real Madrid tomorrow after the clubs agreed a fee believed to be £30million for the Spain international.
The end of a summer-long saga over the 28 year-old’s future ended today when Liverpool issued a short statement effectively bringing to a close his spell on Merseyside.
The statement read: "Liverpool Football Club this evening confirmed they had reached agreement for the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, subject only to a medical. The terms of the deal will remain confidential and undisclosed."
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Alonso had trained with his Liverpool colleagues this afternoon at the club’s Melwood complex.
But as the Liverpool party headed for John Lennon airport and a charter flight to Norway for tomorrow’s friendly with Lyn Oslo, Alonso was heading back to Spain.
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Alonso and Dudek were part of the famous night in Istanbul when Liverpool lifted the European Cup after a penalty shoot-out victory over AC Milan.
Now only Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher remain at the club from the 18 players on the team sheet in Istanbul that night.
Alonso’s departure has been a long and painful experience for Liverpool fans, who had taken the Basque midfielder to their hearts.
Benitez tried to sell him last summer in the complexities of his unsuccessful fight to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.
Alonso did not want to go then, and has always felt that he was being forced out of the club to finance the Barry deal.
This summer it was Benitez who did not want to lose the player, who is believed to have told his manager on the final day of last season that he wanted to return to Spain.
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But although Perez did not consider Alonso to be a player who ’will sell shirts’, the Spain international has been almost as difficult to prise away from his club as Ronaldo.
Alonso was signed from Real Sociedad in August 2004 for #10.5million and scored 19 goals in 210 games, none more memorable than in Istanbul when he followed up to net when his penalty was initially saved in the Champions League final.
He also won the FA Cup, European Super Cup and the Community Shield while at Anfield.
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