Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed that the club are searching for "the best replacement" for Xabi Alonso.
The Anfield club have agreed to sell the Spanish midfielder to Real Madrid for a fee believed to be in the region of €34 million and the 27-year-old is all set to be unveiled at the Bernabeu having completed his medical.
Glen Johnson is the only major arrival at Liverpool thus far this summer after he joined the club from Portsmouth, although Andriy Voronin has returned from Hertha Berlin, where he spent last season on-loan.
Spanish giants Real Madrid also raided the Merseyside club for full-back Alvaro Arbeloa last week as they seek to regain a grip on the La Liga title.
The likes of Alberto Aquilani and Christian Poulsen have been sounded out as potential targets for the Reds and while Benitez is disappointed to have lost Alonso, he has revealed that finding a suitable replacement for the Euro 2008 winner is now at the top of his agenda.
"We would like to keep him [Xabi Alonso], but as soon as he told us that he wanted to leave we started working, looking for players and trying to do the best deal for the club," the former Valencia boss told the club's official website.
"It has been too long, since May, that he told us he wanted to leave and after the official transfer request we were working very hard.
"The first idea was to keep him, and the second one was to find the best price and the best replacement for us."
The Anfield club have agreed to sell the Spanish midfielder to Real Madrid for a fee believed to be in the region of €34 million and the 27-year-old is all set to be unveiled at the Bernabeu having completed his medical.
Glen Johnson is the only major arrival at Liverpool thus far this summer after he joined the club from Portsmouth, although Andriy Voronin has returned from Hertha Berlin, where he spent last season on-loan.
Spanish giants Real Madrid also raided the Merseyside club for full-back Alvaro Arbeloa last week as they seek to regain a grip on the La Liga title.
The likes of Alberto Aquilani and Christian Poulsen have been sounded out as potential targets for the Reds and while Benitez is disappointed to have lost Alonso, he has revealed that finding a suitable replacement for the Euro 2008 winner is now at the top of his agenda.
"We would like to keep him [Xabi Alonso], but as soon as he told us that he wanted to leave we started working, looking for players and trying to do the best deal for the club," the former Valencia boss told the club's official website.
"It has been too long, since May, that he told us he wanted to leave and after the official transfer request we were working very hard.
"The first idea was to keep him, and the second one was to find the best price and the best replacement for us."
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