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Arsenal are reported to have made an approach to sign Xabi Alonso but been deterred from making a formal offer due to Liverpool's exorbitant £18m valuation of the Spanish midfielder.
Arsene Wenger has made no secret of his wish to purchase an experienced midfielder - a description that certainly applies to the 26-year-old Alonso - before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, but, for the moment, a deal remains a distant possibility. 'Rafa Benítez's price tag has deterred Arsenal from returning with a firm offer for a player they value at closer to the £10.5m Liverpool paid Real Sociedad for him four years ago,' reports The Guardian.
Although Benitez's plan is to balance the £18m signing of Gareth Barry by selling Alonso for a similar fee, Wenger hopes the price for the Spaniard will drop significantly before August 31. Juventus, the only other club to have expressed an interest in securing Alonso's services this summer, have since announced that they will not sign the midfielder.
Liverpool are expected to complete the purchase of Barry later this week after co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett agreed to underwrite the fee in what amounts to a short-term loan. Once Barry has arrived at Anfield, the onus will be on Benitez to raise funds to pay back his debt to his American paymasters. Have already offloaded Peter Crouch, Scott Carson and John-Arne Riise this summer, Benitez is open to offers for both Jermaine Pennant and Andriy Voronin. However, with their combined price unlikely to exceed £10m, the probability is that Benitez will have to agree on a compromise fee for Alonso.
Will Rafa decrease the price demand? they already have lots of center midfield and Barry will also fulfill the slots. So why not they just release Alonso to other club who really need it. What do you think?
It probably won't happen now that Liverpool are not going to get Barry. I would love to see Xabi come to Arsenal and partner with Cesc. However, as light as we are in CM we are even lighter in the back 4.
He won't sell, the valuation is simply to scare Arsenal off. Why would somebody sell one of their players to their nearest rival? Remember the furore over the Ashley Cole/Gallas switch? Transfers are always ugly between the big four.
They are many speculation now. It is nice to see Alonso play for arsenal, but are his style of playing can adapt to Arsenal atacking or defending. I dont think so because Arsenal are too ast in football but Alonso are the man who was slow in the Liverpool FC and I think he can only stay at the banch like before. Alonso please play for your country club.
Arsenal make Alonso Approach 
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