Liverpool midfielder claims that he’s staying put: Could Rafa really lose two signings because of this?
by offsidetrap on July 15th, 2008
| 218 words |
Oh, now this is news that surely isn’t going to make Rafa B very happy. After talking about making a move south this season, it appears that a certain Spanish midfielder will be staying put at Liverpool for the upcoming campaign. Could his love for the Kop be the difference between Rafa bringing in two top talents this summer? Some think so.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s hopes of signing Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry and Spurs striker Robbie Keane have suffered a setback with the news that midfielder Xabi Alonso looks set to stay on Merseyside. (Various)
Whilst it remains unclear why Alonso’s possible move to Juventus ruins a possible swoop for both players, the thought that the Spanish man could be around next season is something that should make Liverpool supporters happy - even if they don’t get Barry and Keane. After fighting with injuries for most of the season, you’d have to believe that the Alonso would be a welcome sight at the club. However, with Liverpool currently chasing their two potential targets, could Liverpool supporters be singing a different tune about the Spanish man?
Do Liverpool supporters really believe that Alonso’s move to Juve could be the deal-breaker between brining both Barry and Keane to Liverpool? Or is this just more paper talk to stir the pot?
lfc - July 15th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Xabi, Go away already!
lfc - July 15th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Liverpool should get rid of alonso, sure he’s an amazing passer of the ball but if we want to sign people like Barry and Keane then we really do need to get rid of Alonso. When you compare someone like Barry to Alonso, Barry is the outright winner he is a magnificant player and to have a strike force of Torres and Keane would be the most dangerous strike forcce in Engalnd, if not the world.
So if Liverpool want to win any silverware this season then they need to get rid of Alonso and bring in Barry and Keane, then we’d be better contenders for the title!!
Matt from Gosport.
Bill Ward - July 15th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Why shouldn’t he stay? he signed a contract with the club, it’s not his fault the move failed and anyway he is a far better player than Barry. Stop trying to stir the efluent.
Jonas - July 15th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I’d pick Alonso before Barry anytime. Yes, xabi did not perform at his best last season, but we’ve all seen what he is capable of. And even though Barry was excellent last season, who’s to say that he will perform at the same level, when he’s just one of the pack, not leading it like in villa? And the pricetag is hilarious. He’s almost the same as “El Nino”! Who, in gods name, came up with that crap! Just because he’s english, his price goes thru the roof… Biggest load of rubbish ever. I meen, we’ve all seen how excellent the national team are. No offence. (excuse my poor english.. i’m norwegian. can’t help it)
John K - July 15th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Alonso, good player BUT, Barry and Keane are more the type of player who will win us the Prem. Sorry if we must sacrifice Alonso for the the good of the team and club, so be it. In Rafa we trust. YNWA
daboy - July 15th, 2008 at 10:33 am
bugger barry xabi is way better and buy keane.
Steve - July 15th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Was 16m for Alonso going to buy us both Barry & Keane?? No i don’t think so. Therefore why would it mean that neither player can come to Liverpool? Keeping Alonso just means we don’t need Barry (who’s older, not as good and 2m more expensive??). The money we do have can be used to fund the purchase of Keane and maybe another (Silva possibly).
For those that will now say ‘but liverpool are skint, they have no money blah blah blah’, you do not know, as anyone else outside of the footie club does not know, the extent of the money made available to Rafa. We’ve already made in the region of 15m from transfers, plus Rafa has just been given the 20m from the CL last season, giving us 35m before any more players are sold. Therefore any reason why we can’t get both Keane & Silva for around 35m ?
Janindra, Thailand - July 15th, 2008 at 10:35 am
let’s accept the fact. liverpool are broke. hicks and gillets donot provide enough meony for signing quality players. we miss many good players such as David Villa who can make a direct impact on our team. You dream of siging some other good players and finally you end up in failure because you actually don’t have enough money to buy them. i can’t figure out how we can win the title next season? Man United are ready to spend some 28m pounds IN CASH for Berbatov after only a few days of negotiation. But liverpool took several weeks and no progress has been made so far. I think the solution is to find a new owner who is rich enough to plash money on more world class players.
joel - July 15th, 2008 at 10:37 am
forget barry and swap alonso for xavi in barselona
Anonymous - July 15th, 2008 at 10:45 am
This is not Championship Manager. Guardiola wouldn’t sell Xavi for the world let alone swap for Alonso. A swap for Ronaldinho is more likely since he’s a wantaway player… or even Eto’o.
shawn - July 15th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Keep Alonso. Barry overrated, overpriced player. One good season doesn’t make him £18M. Where has he been all this time?
Nordberg - July 15th, 2008 at 10:50 am
“Whilst it remains unclear why Alonso’s possible move to Juventus ruins a possible swoop for both players…..”
Um, I can give you about 15 million reasons……
J - July 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am
I read blogs of rival fans and Liverpool fans are probably some of the thickest around. Keane and Torres best partnership in the world ?haha.. I’m a spurs fan and I can tell you. Keane is good but if you compare him to Tevez, I must agree the argetinian is better.
I read all this in Liverpool Blogs…get Keane, buy Barry, million of dollars in the bank..ETC. The reality is your finances is hanging by a thread or simple English you are broke !!!
Spurs has more money than you and we set a 20mil price on Keane is to test whether you are stupid enough to pay…hmm… looking at things you probably would..
Stupid scousers ..
lfc4life - July 15th, 2008 at 10:55 am
This Barry sarger is starting to really bore me, yes most of us are agreed that Barry is not as good as alonso at passing the ball but Barry does have other points that are better than alonso, for example he can play in-multiple posistion with a great deal of felixability, barry is a differentstyle of player than Alonso, it is like comparing Rooney and Torres two complete different styles of play.I love alonso but if selling him mean 12 extra points this season then im all for it. Yes this summers transfer activity is very slow and limited but i ithink we all know who to blame, those two idiots upstairs intent on filling there pockets with our money.
IRWT
J - July 15th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Steve.. of 10.33am.. talk is cheap.. show money…Once again Spurs has outspend you.. so far…you can’t even broker a 16mil deal and we clinch Modric for 16mil in seconds?
Nordberg - July 15th, 2008 at 11:00 am
In any case, todays Echo is reporting that he will be leaving anyway, so Rafa looks set to get his wish, and the majority of us will hopefully get ours, in the form of Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane.
dappa_viz - July 15th, 2008 at 11:06 am
This shudnt b a discusion point!
Im sure theres sum silli yanks readin this goin how stupid r these people. Da blames wid them if they aint got da money or ambitions to buy players get out of here.
We need all three of them!
koppaloadofthis - July 15th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Message to Steve - transfer funds are restricted. The Yanks have put LFC into considerable debt. It is a matter of public record that £30million plus is used to service the debt. The Yanks have their own financial problems in USA. I suspect whether LFC can buy Barry or Keane or both with or without selling Alonso is , to them , a small and rather irrelevant problem. As far as the club is concerned they have to sell to buy. We are LFC fans , interested in what goes on on the pitch. Those who own the club are interested in the money and what they says goes.
lfc4life - July 15th, 2008 at 11:13 am
To all those spurs fans out there that are intent on knocking liverpool, justr remember last summer you brought some exspensive players but where did that get you in the league, it got you 11th place and 30 points behind us,
Yes you have brought some good players this summer once again, spent plenty of money , but still no solid defenders, last season you let in 61 only derby newcastle and reading let in more goals, so carry on talking about how you spend money so easy but remember its not how much is spent but the real judge is weather you spent right.
weather we buy any extra players or not we will still finish above you simple as that.
Thusa M - July 15th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Honestly Pool do not need to get rid of Alonso neither do they need to bring in Barry. Alonso anytime for me. It is sad to note that loyal and brilliant players are being slated for wanting to stay with their beloved clubs and the disloyal are slated for wanting to leave. Pool did not really need to offload their best players but add just three players to onto a settled squad from last season. Rafa should have just sold Crouch, Voronin, Carson, Riise, Itadje, Le Tallacand perhaps Dirk Kurt to raise funds for Keane and Silva and Pool would have made a huge impact in the EPL. Instead we are busy unsettling players who have stuck with us all along. When Garcia left we were not happy and some of us still are and we want to make another mistake. The American owners just need to help Rafa with funds and stop being stingy or leave Pool to more credible investors like DIC. It is not good for a club the size of our Pool to run around picking up scraps from other clubs. Investors put in money to get a return and the Americans want to make money out of nothing. Surely that is a recipe for disaster.
nelsan raj - July 15th, 2008 at 11:53 am
NO it buy Garreth Barry. Alonso better than him. Barry is too expensive. Keep that money…..and try sign david villa or david silva from valencia. That could be better choice. They can make it impact game for Liverpool. Pls try to buy expensive player. Then only can fight for EPL. If not forget it about EPL?
xabi - July 15th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
xabi alonso is a better player than barry
16 million pounds can’t buy keane and barry anyway.
it would be totally illogical to sell alonso when he is younger and a more talented footballer than Barry.
About time the yanks coughed up some money so that great players like alonso who want to stay at their club don’t have to be held responsible for players not being bought
Red - July 15th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Why would 1 man ruin two deals? Surely if Alonso doesn’t leave then we just won’t get Barry? We can still get Keane right? to be honest. I’d be quite happy if we keep alonso and get keane and another decent winger. I still feel Alonso can do a good job esp now he has something to prove!
LFC4Life - July 15th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Forget about barry and get him on a free next year or for half the price in January. Alanso is more than good enough for the liverpool midfield next season. Rafa should just concentrate on bringing Keano to the club, if anything it should be easier to sign him now because they would loose money if they sold Alanso (£15m) and bought Barry(£18m).
bgudg - July 15th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
i dont get it.
alonso for 16 m.
Barry for 18 m.
Keane for 20 m.
I guess i can see how that all adds up…
Tushar - July 15th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
forget Berry, stay Alonso. We need a good striker like Keane.
kopfan - July 15th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
we should keep alonso as he is any day better than barry.. we should try n sign silva as we need a winger and not a midfielder.
ChelseaFC - July 15th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
To the idiot who said that Keane and Torres would make the best partnership in the world, your just an idiot, only weeks ago all Liverpool fans were saying that Torres/Villa partnership would be the best in the world, but since you now can’t afford him, i guess Keane and Torres will have to do…lol
I wouldn’t buy Barry but thats just me… Liverpool need world class players if they want to contend with the Man Utd and Chelsea, because face it, you only have 2: Gerrard and Torres.