Premier League Betting: Alonso exit would really cripple Liverpool

Premier League / Ralph Ellis / 27 July 2009 / Leave a Comment

He's had his head turned by a big offer from a glamorous rival. He's next on the spending list of a club ploughing millions into buying big stars. But his current boss is trying to persuade him to stay because he's so crucial to the club where he's already a hero to thousands of fans. What will happen next?

No, not John Terry. We know the answer to that saga now because Chelsea's captain has said he's staying. This is all to do with Liverpool's midfield man Xabi Alonso who is on the summer hit list of Real Madrid.

He's just returned to work after being allowed, like Liverpool's other Spanish internationals who were in South Africa for the Confederations Cup, a longer break from club duty. But despite making a cameo appearance in a 5-0 win over Singapore, there's no guarantee now that he'll stay on Merseyside when his team mates come home.

At 27 he's keen to return to his homeland after five years at Anfield, and the lure of being part of Madrid's new generation of Galacticos is powerful. What's more, the Spanish giants are showing signs of being willing to up their original £20million offer to the sort of level that Liverpool's owners will find hard to turn down.

"I was talking to him yesterday and telling him to listen to the fans. They love Xabi," said Anfield boss Rafa Benitez. "If we keep him I will be very pleased."

Trouble is that Alonso - who incidentally is [1.42] on Betfair's market not to be a Liverpool player when the window closes - will remember all too clearly last summer, when Benitez was not so keen to have him around. Then the manager was trying to move him out to raise the money for a bid for Gareth Barry.

A year later and Benitez has let Barry slip through his fingers to go to Manchester City, and losing Alonso too would have a devastating effect on Liverpool's potential to build on their best Premier League season for years.

So far they have made just one major signing, bringing in Glen Johnson from Portsmouth. But they've also lost Sammy Hyypia from the squad, whose contribution to a dozen Premier League games in the middle of the season last year shouldn't be underestimated. And where the likes of Steven Gerrard hoped for new star arrivals like David Villa to join himself and Fernando Torres, instead it looks as if the attacking firepower could get weaker.

Liverpool are rated a [4.4] chance to end their long wait for a Premier League title, while Terry's weekend decision to stay has pushed Chelsea ahead of United as clear [3.2] favourites. The Blues captain came out with one of those cringe-making statements that are written with the belief that all football fans are inherently stupid. "Me leaving Chelsea was never a possibility," he claimed after wrapping up a new contract. That hardly squares against weeks of flirting with Manchester City's double your money pay offer, complete with regular leaks from his agents about his fears over Chelsea's immediate prospects.

The suspicion was always that both club and player wanted City's money, but wanted to blame the other for it happening. Neither has backed down, so you're left with the football equivalent of one of those nearly broken marriages where they've stayed together for the sake of the kids!

Mark Hughes' next target now he's failed to get his first choice at centre half is Arsenal's Kolo Toure, with a £15million deal in the offing. That's deeply significant for the Gunners because their season turned round when the Ivory Coast defender, who had fallen out with William Gallas, was brought back into the team at Aston Villa on Boxing Day. It sparked a 17-match unbeaten run which regained their top four status. The move will spark more nerves at The Emirates, where Arsenal remain [1.55] to reach the top four while City are [2.74] to take their place.

Meanwhile Michael Owen got his fourth goal in as many pre-season games for Manchester United - and looks sensational value at [14] to be the Premier League's top goalscorer. Especially if it turns out that Liverpool's Torres, who is [5.1] favourite, no longer has his Spanish mate to provide him and Gerrard with the killer passes.