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The thought of Xabi Alonso one day returning to Liverpool to play a minor role after his days at Real Madrid were done has always held a certain appeal to a section of Liverpool fans. With reports in the Spanish press suggesting Carlo Ancelotti is unhappy with the midfielder's fitness levels since he returned from the World Cup, then, it was probably inevitable at least a few tabloids would put two and two together.
Madrid, as they always do, have gone out and bought another pile of attacking talent. Others will have to be sacrificed to make room for it, with Angel di Maria presumed on his way to PSG, Sami Khedira with one foot out the door already, and Isco rumoured to be on the bubble. Now, various outlets in Spain have begun to suggest a for sale sign has been hung on Alonso as well and that the midfielder is likely to leave.
Following that, a handful of less than reputable English outlets haven't been able to stop themselves suggesting there's a decent chance he could end up at Liverpool. Not because there's any reason to believe Liverpool are actually interested in the 32-year-old playmaker, just because he's Xabi Alonso and he might be for sale. And even if it somehow turned out to be true, the rumoured £8M asking price would seem excessive.
Still, it's an amusing rumour from a Liverpool point of view, even if there isn't actually anything to suggest it's true. As for Madrid, the result of letting both Khedira and Alonso go could be hilariously unbalanced—Luka Modric and Toni Kroos behind Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema, and Rodriguez unbalanced—but then if Liverpool can set up with a defensive midfielder whose best qualities are in attack, why not the Spanish giants?
