Athletico Madrid to bid for Xabi?

[Joey Jones]

According to today's gossip column on the BBC today - Athletico Madrid are preparing a £14 swoop for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso.

If a bid was placed I'm sure Rafa wouldn't allow him to go.

[kopdan]

Would you sell him?

[Joey Jones]

Would you sell him?

No, would you??

[Guest]

Yes i would if we could get a decent replacement. Xabi has been a massive disappointment this year and he hasn't progressed as he should have.

[kopdan]

It follows on from a topic last night. I said most top teams have a midfield who weigh in with goals.

We have Gerrard who we know will look to score in every game. But take him away and I dont such much goal threat from the other two unless we shoot from our own half.

I guess out of the "three", I would be inclined to sell Alonso for a more creative / scoring player in the middle UNLESS we start scoring more elsewhere in the team like the wingers.

That said, Alonso on his day is the best passer in Europe but is that enough to warrant a place in the midfield.

[ningnangnong]

According to today's gossip column on the BBC today - Athletico Madrid are preparing a £14 swoop for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso.

Fairly cheap.

[Craig_H]

I'd sell for double that.

[Howard_lfc]

Fairly cheap.

so long as we dont end up with Torres as part of some deal. He's so overrated.

[ningnangnong]

I'd sell for double that.

You'd sell for £28?

You can get a subscription to Koptalk for that.

[Craig_H]

[AFII]

ATLETICO WILL TRY TO LURE ALONSO IN £14M SWOOP
By David Anderson

ATLETICO MADRID are lining up a £14million offer for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso.

The ambitious Spanish side have put the midfield playmaker top of their shopping list and want to build a new young team around him and Fernando Torres.

Atletico are enjoying a revival this season - they are fourth in La Liga - and feel Alonso could help turn them into title challengers.

Atletico's sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch has made Alonso the club's No.1 target and believes he could add that creative spark to the team.

Pitarch is trying to overhaul Atletico by reducing the team's average age and, at 25, Alonso fits the bill.

Pitarch has been tracking the former Real Sociedad star for weeks and, after a slow start to the season, Alonso is getting back to his best.

The Spain international joined Liverpool in a £10.5million move in August 2004 and Atletico hope the lure of playing in his homeland may be strong enough to persuade him to quit Anfield.

Madrid's second club have yet to make official contact with Liverpool and Reds manager Rafael Benitez would fight any attempt to sign Alonso.

The Basque is under contract at Anfield until 2009 and Benitez sees him as key to his plans for the coming years.

Alonso is one of the few automatic choices under Benitez and, while he may be prepared to play Steven Gerrard out of position, he never switches his compatriot from his central role for Liverpool.

Alonso, who learnt English before joining Liverpool, and his young family are understood to be happy living on Merseyside.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...name_page.html

[Craig_H]

No quotes...

[Guest]

We need a Scholes type of a midfielder. One who has a short intelligent game. Thing is Xabi is capable of doing that but he's less mobile and doesn't possess Scholes goalscoring ability.

[AFII]

Tribal had the story over a day ago

[Tee]

How about Joey Barton and Gerrard in the middle? Not many teams would look forward to that battle.