Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso have been targeted by Real Madrid in a £100million swoop.
The Spanish giants made the first moves for the Kop pair after they were humiliated at Anfield on Tuesday.
The nine-time European Cup winners are ready to value Gerrard at £80m after his display in their 4-1 demolition.
A summer upheaval is on the cards at the Bernabeu with former president Florentino Perez ready to assume control in the club elections.
And he has already drawn up a short-list of targets to pin to his ballot paper.
Gerrard is top of that list and the president-elect also wants his Anfield midfield partner Alonso to join him in the Spanish capital.
The England midfielder’s outstanding two-goal display against Madrid in midweek prompted Real legend Zinedine Zidane to acclaim him the best player in the world.
Significantly, Zidane is in line to become Real’s sporting director under the Perez presidency, working alongside current AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Any move for Gerrard looks certain to be resisted by Liverpool and the skipper is committed to finishing his career on Merseyside.
But that won’t stop Madrid trying to prize him away for £80m if they sense his growing frustration with Liverpool’s ongoing internal squabbles and inability to end their title drought.
Ironically, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was believed to be the main target for Madrid but now it’s the Reds’ skipper who is their priority.
Gerrard has two years left on his Anfield deal and is due for renewed terms at the end of this season.
He has repeatedly made it clear he wants to stay at the club and complete his medal collection with an elusive Premier League title. But the club’s owners have also been consistently warned to end the in-fighting which has plagued Liverpool.
Gerrard has made no secret of his frustration with the public spats.
The Reds captain will turn 29 in May, ironically the same age as Zidane when he left Juventus for the Spanish capital.
Madrid will have high hopes of tempting midfielder Alonso back to Spain for £20m, especially as Benitez is expected to re-ignite his interest in Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry.
The Spanish giants made the first moves for the Kop pair after they were humiliated at Anfield on Tuesday.
The nine-time European Cup winners are ready to value Gerrard at £80m after his display in their 4-1 demolition.
A summer upheaval is on the cards at the Bernabeu with former president Florentino Perez ready to assume control in the club elections.
And he has already drawn up a short-list of targets to pin to his ballot paper.
Gerrard is top of that list and the president-elect also wants his Anfield midfield partner Alonso to join him in the Spanish capital.
The England midfielder’s outstanding two-goal display against Madrid in midweek prompted Real legend Zinedine Zidane to acclaim him the best player in the world.
Significantly, Zidane is in line to become Real’s sporting director under the Perez presidency, working alongside current AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Any move for Gerrard looks certain to be resisted by Liverpool and the skipper is committed to finishing his career on Merseyside.
But that won’t stop Madrid trying to prize him away for £80m if they sense his growing frustration with Liverpool’s ongoing internal squabbles and inability to end their title drought.
Ironically, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was believed to be the main target for Madrid but now it’s the Reds’ skipper who is their priority.
Gerrard has two years left on his Anfield deal and is due for renewed terms at the end of this season.
He has repeatedly made it clear he wants to stay at the club and complete his medal collection with an elusive Premier League title. But the club’s owners have also been consistently warned to end the in-fighting which has plagued Liverpool.
Gerrard has made no secret of his frustration with the public spats.
The Reds captain will turn 29 in May, ironically the same age as Zidane when he left Juventus for the Spanish capital.
Madrid will have high hopes of tempting midfielder Alonso back to Spain for £20m, especially as Benitez is expected to re-ignite his interest in Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry.
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