Defensive midfielder had been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League recently.
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A whole host of big-name Premier League clubs have all missed out on the signing of experienced Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso after the Spaniard finally agreed to sign a contract extension with the La Liga giants, according to reports on BBC Sport Online.
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The future of the 32-year-old at the Santiago Bernabeu has been in doubt for some time now, with Alonso having seemingly been stalling on agreeing a new deal with los Blancos, with the player’s previous contract in the Spanish capital having been due to run out at the end of this campaign.
And with the Spain international having steadfastly refused to put pen to paper on the contract extension that has been on the table for months now, the likes of Premier League champions Manchester United, Uefa Europa League holders Chelsea, Arsenal and former club Liverpool were all hoping to be able to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding Alonso’s future at Madrid by landing the holding midfielder on a free transfer next summer.
That is, though, until Alonso announced on Twitter on Wednesday night that he has now finally agreed a new two-year deal with Madrid that keeps him at the club until 2016, with an option for a third year should both parties agree.