Xabi Alonso's Arsenal agreement comes to light as Liverpool loyalties questioned
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso came close to joining rivals Arsenal during his illustrious playing career, according to former Anfield chief Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez has revealed that Xabi Alonso almost joined Arsenal before reneging on an agreement with Liverpool's old Premier League rivals.
Alonso, 42, spent five years at Anfield during his illustrious playing career and was an integral figure in the team which famously won the Champions League under Benitez's stewardship back in 2005.
The classy Spanish midfielder went on to play for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich after leaving the Reds in 2009 - but he almost ended up plying his trade much closer to Merseyside.
Alonso had agreed to sign for Arsenal during Benitez's reign and he was reluctant to play in a Champions League qualifier as he didn't want to be cup-tied. But circumstances beyond the midfielder's control meant that he played and, ultimately, ended up staying.
READ MORE: Sky Sports fans can save £216 on their bill, here's three other reasons you'll want to pick itREAD MORE: Transfer news RECAP: Man Utd make Ugarte offer, Liverpool deal, Arsenal near Merino signingSpeaking on the Sky Bet Stick to Football podcast, Benitez explained: “Xabi Alonso is a very good player, a very clever person, and someone that is right. When we went for Gareth Barry, it was because he could play in three different positions and then we needed to sell. Xabi had an agreement; he was talking with one club and had an agreement.
“The year after, we played Standard de Liege for a Champions League qualifier and we had Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva in the Olympic Games, Steven Gerrard had a lower back problem, so we had to play [Damien] Plessis and Xabi. Xabi had an agreement with Arsenal and didn’t want to get cup tied.
“I told Jamie Carragher and Gerrard before the game that he had an agreement and doesn’t want to play, but he must because it is the most important game to qualify for the Champions League. Then when you were going out for the warm-ups, you said, ‘Poor Xabi.’ Not poor Xabi, he is playing for our club at this time. During the season he was our best player and didn’t go to Arsenal because he had to play [for us].
Join the debate! What's your top memory of Alonso in a Liverpool shirt? Let us know here.
“We played against Lazio in our last pre-season friendly and the fans were clapping for Xabi, but he was going to Arsenal, the fans loved him.”
Alonso was tipped to make a sensational return to Anfield as a coach earlier this year when the Bayer Leverkusen boss emerged as a target to replace the outgoing Jurgen Klopp.
He elected to remain in Germany, though, despite interest from the Reds and Bayern Munich, with Liverpool instead naming Arne Slot as their new head coach.
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