Loading ...Jul 06 2008
Liverpool Stuck After Alonso Deal Takes Too Long
Xabi Alonso’s move to Juventus has been considered a given, but after a delay for Euro 2008 and the player leaving a decision on his future until after his holidays, Juventus has started to look elsewhere to address their midfield needs. If Liverpool doesn’t get the money they need from Juventus, they may not be able to pay for Gareth Barry. This is why Liverpool, now that negotiations on a fee have started, are reported to be holding out for £16 million, a number that has steadily increased in proportion with the increasing demands Martin O’Neill has made for Barry. Like Aston Villa’s price for their midfielder, Rafa Benitez seems to be asking too much for his.
With rumors having linked Juventus with Roma’s Alberto Aquilani, Juve seems to have options. Not so for Liverpool, who have put all their eggs in the Gareth barry basket. While names like David Bentley and Stewart Downing have been floated, failing to get Barry at this point will be a failure not so much because Liverpool needs him or Barry is so much better than other options; rather, it will be a failure to manage the situation on Rafa Benitez’s part. That he has created a situation where his Barry acquisition is overly dependent on selling Alonso risks neither transaction happening. If Juventus balk at Benitez’s inflated price, all the deals fail.
This is another example of how Liverpool has fallen behind the big three of the Premiership. If is difficult to imagine any of Manchester United, Chelsea, or Arsenal putting themselves in a situation where the sale of one player has the potential to effect so much of their upcoming season’s plans. Names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard, and Emmanuel Adebayor are being linked with moves from the big three, yet nobody is speculating that those moves in any way effect the club’s other business. For Liverpool and Rafa Benitez, it has all come down to Xavi Alonso, a midfielder who was having trouble breaking into the starting XI at last season’s end.
Links
Juve meet Alonso reps in Paris
WFP Related Posts
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