Points on the Sale of Xabi Alonso

As a Liverpool fan, it would be churlish of me to ignore the ongoing story of Xabi Alonso’s future at the club. Real Madrid’s spending spree has been incredible since the transfer widow opened and with oligarchic amounts of money having been spent on some of the world’s top attacking talent, and their sights are now set on a central midfielder. Alonso would be a perfect acquisition for them in this second Galactico era. A deep lying playmaker, capable of setting up attacks for the likes of Ronaldo and Kaka to finish off, and as such, could be the final ingredient in their Champions League push.

Last year, Alonso was clearly upset when Benitez touted his services to Europe’s top clubs in order to raise the cash to sign Gareth Barry. Alonso managed to put the affair behind him, having one of his best campaigns in a red shirt. But a repeat scenario emerged this year and it now looks as though Alonso has decided that his future lies away from Anfield. The new stadium project and the financial problems of the American co-owners have left Benitez with limited funds, and consequently a sell-to-buy approach is required, and after the £17 million signing of Glen Johnson, it is likely to be instituted. A bid in the region of £35 million is what Benitez is rumoured to be holding out for. If Madrid were to offer this figure, then Alonso, despite Benitez’s public statements insisting that no first team regulars are for sale, would in all likelihood leave Anfield.

In his time at Liverpool, Alonso has provided the passing finesse in a hard-working midfield. But could his departure be beneficial? The £35 million would be put to good use but it is not enough money to make a marquee signing of David Villa proportions. Some of it would have to be spent on a replacement in the middle; Lee Cattermole and Roma’s Alberto Aquilani have been suggested at around £6 million and £15 million respectively. In other areas of the pitch, Valencia’s David Silva and Ashley Young also appear to be realistic targets for the money that the sale of Alonso would create. Anything leftover would have to be spent on squad building, as there is a well-documented lack of quality cover, with the midfield and attack being particular areas for concern. If no central midfielders are signed, Lucas will have to make a big improvement. Towards the end of last season he looked to be improving, and for me, some of the fans’ criticism is unjustified when we consider Lucas as a player who is capable of filling the role of a squad player.

Would it be worthwhile for Liverpool to trade Alonso’s skill for a better all round squad? A midfield reshuffle could give Liverpool more options against the teams that caused them their well-documented problems last term. Against teams who make up what they lack in funds and with technically ability, with tenacity and teamwork, Liverpool often lacked the cutting edge. Alonso was Rafa’s key man in a five-man midfield, the playmaker, providing Gerrard and Torres with the sort of passes they needed to create chances. The biggest problem here was that the reliance upon Alonso made Liverpool play narrow, making it easier for defences to cope. If Liverpool were to play a 4-4-2, and the rumours regarding the signing of Silva and Young would seem to support this view, Steven Gerrard could either be deployed in central midfield or as a second striker, allowing other attacking players such as Kuyt, Benayoun and Riera more opportunities in the wide areas.

The problem here would be that against the rest of the top four, where Liverpool, and Alonso played fantastically last year, the defence could be exposed without two holding midfield players. Against attacking opposition, Benitez’s preferred a 4-5-1 formation, which offered balance between attack and defence, but against less ambitious play it didn’t offer enough going forward, especially if Gerrard or Torres were not selected. Despite remaining unbeaten at home, the seven home draws recorded last season were not good enough, with Arsenal, Everton, Man City, West Ham, Hull, Stoke and Fulham all earning a point at Anfield. Whilst the Arsenal and Everton matches were even games, Liverpool weren’t positive enough against the others. Manchester United’s home record of two home draws and one loss was a far better achievement, and it was attained with an attacking philosophy. All season long United seemed to be able to find what they needed to win at home, meanwhile at Anfield, opponents seemed to have enough to hang on. Benitez’s cautious approach is nothing to do with Alonso but his absence from the team could force Liverpool into a more adventurous style of play. On the other hand, without Alonso, Liverpool’s 4-4-2 could prove to be ineffective away from home.

It would be a shame to see Alonso go, but if the price was acceptable then his sale could allow Liverpool to take a forward step. However, any successes without Alonso would be dependent upon the signings made with the funds his transfer would create and the implementation of a more positive philosophy.