Xabi Alonso to return to Anfield? (video)
Rumours have circulated this week that Xabi Alonso may be in line for a shock return to Liverpool, the club with whom he won the Champions League and began to establish himself as one of the world’s best midfielders.
The Daily Star and several blog sites have reported that the Anfield hierarchy have been in talks with Alonso’s agent after the 31-year-old rejected a new contract extension with his current club Real Madrid. Should Liverpool be able to tempt Alonso back to Merseyside, it would be a massive coup for the club.
Whether Xabi Alonso would be genuinely be interested in a return to the Premier League with his former club remains to be seen. Alonso has spent the last three and a half seasons in his homeland with Real Madrid, winning the La Liga title and the Copa Del Rey with the Spanish giants. He has also established him self as a first-team regular in the Spanish national team with whom he has won the World Cup and European Championship since leaving England.
Several factors may determine Alonso’s decision on whether or not to return to Liverpool and to his adoring Anfield supporters. Real Madrid are set to go all guns blazing in order to win ‘La Decima’ – their tenth European Cup – this season and find themselves in the last 8 of the competition having knocked out Manchester United in the previous round with a very realistic chance of lifting the famous trophy once more. Should Real Madrid deliver Champions League success, Alonso will have completed the League, Cup and Champions League treble at the Bernabeau and may leave to seek another challenge – perhaps with his former club Liverpool
Regardless of potential Champions League success, Alonso may opt to leave Real Madrid should his manager Jose Mourinho take the predicted step of leaving the club this summer. With Mourinho likely to return to the English Premier League, supposedly with Chelsea, Alonso may wish to follow the Special One back to England.
One of the issues supposedly discussed between Alonso’s agent and the Liverpool board this week is the Spanish midfielder’s wage demands. Allegedly, Alonso has demanded at least £80,000 a week with bonuses and a percentage of the player’s image rights and it is unknown whether the Reds will be willing to make such concessions to bring Alonso back to Merseyside.
Whether this week’s story has any true backbone is yet to be known, however what is certain is that Liverpool supporters would welcome back fan’s favourite Alonso with open arms and would genuinely believe that the Spaniard can help Brendan Rodgers and his team to embark upon a Premier League title challenge once more.
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