Whenever a player expresses his desire to leave a club, it is always a bit of a desperate situation; the player wants out, and there is not much the club can do. So when Xabi Alonso expressed his desire to leave Anfield, it was Liverpool’s job to get as much money as possible for the Spanish schemer.
It would be harsh to blame Alonso for wanting to move to Real Madrid, to don the famous white shirt of his boyhood club, especially since the wheels of the Perez revolution have started to move. With Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema and Albiol all signing on the dotted line already, it’s fair to say something special is going on at the Bernabeu.
If Alonso is also getting a little more coin at Real, then so be it; that’s just a nice little extra. With rumours circulating last week that Benitez had offered Alonso a new contract, the money soon goes out of the window. Liverpool could’ve matched Madrid’s offer. What they couldn’t offer him, however, was the opportunity to play for his boyhood club and in front of 90,000 fans every other week.
Taking all of this into account, £34 million is a rather generous amount. Real Madrid could have played the waiting game with Liverpool, knowing that their target wanted out, with the Anfield side being forced to lower their asking price.
While £34 million can go a long way in football, it is hard to see how Liverpool can instantly replace Alonso. It could just be an impossible task. Everything that was good about Liverpool last year was about Alonso. He formed a dominant holding midfield partnership with Javier Mascherano, which allowed the players in front to play their own game.
The stark contrast in the last two summers, with regards to Alonso, simply proves his importance and value. Last year, Benitez went behind the 27-year-old’s back, in an attempt to offload him and make way for Gareth Barry. This year, Benitez was desperate to hold on to Alonso, even going so far as offering him a new contract, if some sources are to be believed. It could be argued that the writing was on the wall after the Barry saga, last year, however.
With Liverpool so hot-on-the-heels of United at the end of last season, the one thing Benitez did not want was the loss of his key players. With United losing Tevez and Ronaldo, continuity is gold-dust to a Liverpool side with the Premier League title in it’s sights. So to lose a seemingly irreplaceable player, just before the start of the new campaign, is a massive blow.
The man reportedly charged with replacing Alonso is the currently side-lined Alberto Aquilani, who completed his £20 million transfer to Anfield this week. The Italian is out for two months, and even when he is fit again, he is going to take time to adjust to the English game; a game which is faster and more physical than the stagnant Serie A.
By the time Aquilani has adjusted to the English game, Manchester United may have won the title again.
The only other feasible option available to the Spaniard is to split up his front two, who were so influential last year, and put Gerrard where Alonso was. This will no doubt take some steel out of the front of the Liverpool team, but Gerrard is a proven player in the holding role.
As Ancelotti is an unknown entity at this point, it is fair to say the Champions next May, may be determined by who deals with change and transition better, as the Old Trafford outfit are also going to have to adjust since losing two of their main frontmen. With Vidic and Van Der Sar injured for the start of the season, Benitez will recognise the importance of a good start, and so filling the boots of Alonso has to be done, and quickly.
