Liverpool Agree Fee With Roma For Alberto Aquilani

Liverpool have agreed a fee with Roma, thought to be around £20 million, for the transfer of Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani.

The Premier League club confirmed a deal had been struck on Wednesday afternoon, hours after Xabi Alonso completed his £30 million move from Liverpool to Real Madrid.

It appears that the deal for Aquilani had been in place, ready to be finalised once Alonso passed his medical at the Bernabeu.

Aquilani, 25, was heading to Merseyside on Wednesday afternoon and will have a medical on Thursday.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said: "Alberto is a very good player and I'm delighted we've reached agreement with Roma for his transfer.

"Alberto has a winning mentality and great experience in both Serie A and the Champions League.

"He has long been recognised as a top-class talent in Italy, captaining his country at both Under-19 and Under-21 levels before establishing himself in the senior national side."

Aquilani was believed to be top of Rafael Benitez's list of potential replacements for Alonso. Liverpool have been able to take advantage of Roma's financial difficulties in capturing a player who was a favourite of the Roma fans.

He can play in the position left vacant by Alonso - alongside Javier Mascherano in front of the back four.

As a 16-year-old, Aquilani was offered contracts by both Arsenal and Chelsea but wanted to fulfil his boyhood dream of playing for Roma.

He made his first-team debut at 18, when Fabio Capello was manager, but has been troubled by various injuries since becoming a Roma regular.

Aquilani's fitness may be a concern, so the medical will be key to the deal being completed. The player has been sidelined since surgery on his right ankle in May.

He last featured for Roma on March 11 when the Serie A club crashed out of the Champions League to Arsenal, and the fact he made only 14 league appearances last season because of fitness problems must be a concern at Anfield.

Roma great Giuseppe Giannini said this week that Aquilani could be a success at Anfield.

"Aquilani would do well at Liverpool," said Giannini. "He would not have any problems adapting to the Premier League. English football is perfect for Aquilani.

"He has all the right characteristics to do well there. He will show Liverpool what he is all about.

"I have no doubts that Liverpool will sign a great player in Aquilani. I think his future will be in the Premier League."

Alonso Completes £30m Real Move

Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso has completed his £30m transfer to big-spending Real Madrid from Liverpool after passing a medical on Wednesday.

The Reds revealed on Tuesday a deal had been struck but added the terms would remain confidential.

Alonso, 27, joined Liverpool from Real Sociedad in August 2004 for £10.5m.

Technical director Jorge Valdano said the capture of Alonso would signal the end of Real Madrid's buying spree which has now seen them spend over £200m.

"With this signing, the chapter is now closed on transfers," said Valdano.

"Before the start of the pre-season, the coach Manuel Pellegrini told us it was necessary to strengthen two positions: the defence and the midfield, and that is what we have done."

Alonso becomes the second Liverpool player to join the Spanish giants after full-back Alvaro Arbeloa's £3.5m switch to the Bernabeu in July.

Real, under the guidance of returning president Florentino Perez, have embarked on an ambitious rebuilding programme this summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived from Manchester United in a world record £80m deal, Brazilian playmaker Kaka was bought from AC Milan for £56m and Real have also spent £30m to sign France striker Karim Benzema from Lyon.

In addition, defender Raul Albiol was signed from Valencia as Real look to build a squad capable of challenging for honours at both home and abroad.

Rivals Barcelona completed a clean sweep of domestic trophies in Spain last season, while Real have failed to progress beyond the last 16 of the Champions League for the past five seasons.

Alonso's transfer to the La Liga club brings to an end Real's long pursuit of the Spanish international.

In July, Real sporting director Miguel Pardeza was quoted as saying "Madrid don't discard an option until it is truly impossible" after reports suggested Liverpool wanted £50m for the midfielder.

It is believed Real returned with an offer of £30m that could rise to £34m, depending on Alonso's success in Spain.

He will join former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek at the Bernabeu, leaving only Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher from Liverpool's 18-man squad that won the Champions League in 2005.

Alonso and Dudek were both part of the side that dramatically fought back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win the trophy in a penalty shoot-out, Alonso scoring Liverpool's third and equalising goal on 59 minutes.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had tried to sell the Spanish international last summer as he looked to fund a move for midfielder Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.

However, Alonso did not want to move and a deal for Barry eventually fell through, with Alonso going on to play a key role as Liverpool finished second in the Premier League.

Rafael Benitez: Liverpool Eyeing 'The Best Replacement' For Xabi Alonso

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."

Xabi Alonso - Incredible But Not Irreplaceable For Liverpool

Real Madrid are in the process of adding what they feel is the final piece of an elaborate and expensive summer puzzle, signing deep-lying playmaker Xabi Alonso in a €34 million deal. In doing so, they could be taking a key element away form Liverpool by swooping for their long-unsettled dark horse.

The story behind Alonso finally handing in a transfer request and booking a one-way ticket to Madrid, despite have a crucial role to play in Liverpool's 'to be continued' domestic resurgence, is a bitter one.

The inside scoop appears to be thus: the relationship between Alonso and Anfield gaffer Rafael Benitez first soured when the boss fell out with former assistant Paco Ayestaran, who was axed upon embracing Jose Mourinho at the height of Rafa's feud with the ex-Chelsea tactician.

Ayestaran and Alonso were reportedly very close, and in the aftermath Benitez saw Alonso's support of the assistant as a further sign of disloyalty. Then came the infamous scenario wherein Alonso decided to attend the birth of his son rather than be with the Reds as they faced Inter in the Champions League, further infuriating Rafa, who had already been sending hints to the midfielder suggesting that he wanted him out.

Strike three, of course, was Liverpool's botched pursuit of Gareth Barry, and although time and the highs of last season have served to heal some of the damage between player and manager, the wounds would appear to have run too deep.

That's not to say that Xabi won't take many fond memories away from Merseyside. He was able to blossom with the club, whilst adding technical quality to what was a rough-and-ready side when he joined. He won the Champions League and the European Super Cup in 2005, and playing in England certainly didn't stop him from achieving international success, winning Euro 2008 with Spain.

So how much will Liverpool really miss Xabi? He appears cold and calculating on and off the field; you'll rarely get a smile out of him, much less an inspirational team-talk. However, he's said to be warmer than he appears on the surface around his team-mates, yet from that point of view the Reds surely aren't losing a massive leadership presence.

Still, the guy must have something about him beyond raw football ability, as a great many footballers have all the talent in the world, yet lack the other great intangibles needed to lead a team – and Xabi has done that even without appearing to have the personality to do so. Last season, the bestubbled maestro had a big hand in helping the Reds to cruise without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres during their periods of injury. Furthermore, 'Pool have won 67% of their games with Alonso in the side and just 46% when without.

In terms of a replacement, though, the man under the microscope is Roma's Alberto Aquilani. He is another player blessed with natural footballing attributes, but his mentality has come under even more scrutiny than Alonso's, and that's even before worrying about his perma-crock label. The positives are obvious, though: Benitez should be able to mould him without friction as he adjusts to England; he's an unknown quantity to the rest of the 'Big Four', who know the ins-and-outs of Alonso's game.

Rafa isn't daft, of course – he'll know that Aquilani isn't going to step in as a ready-made replacement for Alonso any more than Antonio Valencia is going to win the Ballon d'Or at Manchester United. If he's missing a trick, it's perhaps that he could have replaced Alonso with a much more obvious personality, and given his side one more big, bold shunt in the direction of the Premier League crown. Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres all plot the Reds' course in their own way, but the Premier League trophy still had the wrong red ribbons on it last term.

Gareth Barry, of course, may just have been the man for the job – but then again it would be naive to claim that Liverpool would win the title with Barry in place of Alonso. Short of Cesc Fabregas – and probably not even then – that like-for-like switcheroo perhaps wouldn't be enough.

Luckily, Xabi's departure and the timely cash injection could nudge Benitez outside the box, and the likes of Valencia's David Silva or Aston Villa's Ashley Young could re-enter his thoughts. Someone as versatile as Silva would be preferable, it must be said: his comfort on the ball and willingness to track back would fill more holes than a winger such as Young. Such an X-factor, following the exciting addition of Glen Johnson as a high-octane right-back, could potentially make this into a championship winning side.

Rafa's bow remains impressive, and lets not forget that this is a team who came second in the Premier League, despite having some set-backs that would have damaged lesser teams further. After a half-dozen games, Xabi's void may be evident and questions might be asked. However, if his departure gives Rafa the impetus to round off his team and make them a more complete attacking force, especially at home, then surely the fans will be able to close a complicated chapter quickly.

Liverpool Legend Phil Thompson: We Need To Finish Off Weaker Teams

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has spoken out saying that the Reds have to beat the smaller teams if they are to be crowned Premier League champions this season.

"We need to be able to put teams away," Thompson told LFC Magazine.

"Even against Stoke [City] at home last season, where we had about 27 attempts on goal, that aggressive streak to finish them off was missing.

"Liverpool blitzed the top four but still haven't won the title. We've only lost two games all season, but haven't won the title."

The legendary defender went on to speak of how performances against the lower teams count towards winning the league.

"If it had been a position where we drew against all those top teams but beat the lesser lights, with respect, we would probably have won the league," he lamented.

Liverpool are yet to win the league title in the Premier League era.

Jamie Redknapp: Cristiano Ronaldo's Absence Will Hand Title To Liverpool

Jamie Redknapp believes his old club, Liverpool, will win this season's Premier League title and end two decades of hurt on Merseyside.

The Reds have not won the domestic title since the days of Alan Hansen, John Barnes and Peter Beardsley in the 1980's, but Redknapp is convinced his former side have what it takes to usurp rivals Manchester United as champions.

In an interview with Sky Magazine he said, "I’m not being biased, but I’d bet on it [Liverpool winning the League].

"If they perform anywhere near the level they did last year, I think they’ll win."

And the pundit confirmed the departure of a certain CR7 will have a major influence in this season's title race.

"Man United will miss Ronaldo so much," he asserted.

Redknapp's confidence comes in the face of criticism of Liverpool's championship credentials from Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who has dismissed the Anfield outfit's chances of success this season.

Threlfall Set For Loan Move

Skysports.com understands Liverpool defender Robbie Threlfall is poised for a loan move away from Anfield.

A number of clubs are thought to be keen on signing the talented left-back, who is also equally adapt at centre-half, after Liverpool made him available for a loan switch.

The 20-year-old is highly regarded at Liverpool and the Anfield coaching staff are willing to farm him out again so that he can continue his development.

Threlfall, who had loan spells at Hereford and Stockport last season, endured a frustrating campaign last term with a metatarsal injury, but he is now back to full fitness and has caught the eye in pre-season.

His performances have not gone unnoticed with the player being subject to several enquiries about his availability ahead of the new season.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is keen to send him out on loan as he continues his policy of farming out his best young players so that they can regular first-team action under their belts.

United Boss Sir Alex Ferguson Dimisses Liverpool FC Threat

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has begun the mind games with Liverpool FC counterpart Rafa Benitez by declaring Chelsea to be the biggest threat to the Red Devils' dream of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.

Big things are expected of Liverpool FC this term after their most consistent top-flight campaign since 1990.

But Ferguson said: "Liverpool had probably their best season for 20 years and still finished four points adrift. It will be hard for them to match last season, let alone improve on it. Other teams will know more about them, so it has to be Chelsea as the main threat."

Benitez is bound to bristle at such comments, although with Xabi Alonso about to join Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema at Real Madrid, it is difficult to see how a Liverpool FC side whose focus continues to be the axis of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard can get better.

The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti also brings an unknown dimension to Chelsea, although Ferguson believes the Italian's past record makes him an opponent to be respected.

"Ancelotti will play the Milan way," said Ferguson.

"It brought him two European Cups - it should have been three because they should never have lost to Liverpool, so why should he change?"

That put-down of Benitez's proudest moment as Liverpool FC manager from Istanbul in 2005 will not endear him to the Anfield club either.

However, United have their own worries at present, namely the broken fingers Edwin van der Sar suffered during the penalty shoot-out defeat to Bayern Munich in last week's Audi Cup that will keep him out for eight weeks.

The 38-year-old's injury turns the spotlight firmly onto Ben Foster, whose own well-chronicled fitness problems have been a consistent handicap in his bid to establish himself as United's number one.

Jamie Carragher Wants Liverpool To Improve Before The Premier League Begins

Liverpool were at the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline against Spanish side Espanyol in a pre-season friendly. Jamie Carragher looked back on the match and expressed his concern over the Merseyside club's pre-season form, imploring his team-mates to improve before the Premier League begins.

“Obviously it was only a pre-season game but it was still a disappointing result for us because you never want to get beat,” the Reds' vice-captain has been quoted in the Liverpool Daily Post as saying.

“If you look at the first 20 minutes to half an hour then I suppose we were chasing shadows a bit during that spell and that’s all credit to them.

“From our point of view, we’ve still got a few players coming back into it and I think we felt it in the conditions out there.

“But sometimes in a game of football you lose and you just have to hold your hands up and admit that you were beaten by the better side on the night and this was one of those occasions, so full credit to them, they played very well."

When asked as to the reason behind the poor performance at the Cornella-El Prat, he said, "It was a mixture of things really, it just wasn’t our night but it’s getting closer to the season now and we’ve got a couple of weeks to put it right.

“That’s what these games are all about, and hopefully we’ll be ready when the season kicks off.”

Liverpool will play their next pre-season friendly against Norwegian side Lyn today.

Liverpool FC Close To Selling Xabi Alonso As Real Madrid Agree Fee

Xabi Alonso’s departure from Liverpool is close to being sealed after Real Madrid agreed to meet Liverpool’s asking price.

The Spaniards have indicated they will go to a fee in the region of £30million to secure Alonso the move he has been craving all summer.

Anfield officials met with Real executive director-general José Ángel Sánchez yesterday and they stepped up their bid to finally bring an end to their pursuit of the playmaker.

Real capitalised on the fact that Liverpool were in Spain last night and held the talks in the team hotel in Barcelona prior to the 3-0 friendly defeat at the hands of Espanyol.

Although a deal was not struck, sufficient progress was made to convince Madrid that a final agreement is close.

Rafael Benitez has insisted all along that he will not accept a knockdown offer for the 27-year-old despite Alonso having indicated that he is ready to leave Anfield.

And the Liverpool manager’s patience appears to be paying off as Real finally got closer to the kind of bid he is looking for.

With Roma star Alberto Aquilani already lined up as Alonso’s successor Benitez will be keen for Real to put their money where their mouth has been and finally bring an end to the transfer saga.

The chances of that happening appear to have been boosted after reports in Spain suggested that the Bernabeu coffers will shortly be swollen to the tune of £18m due to the impending sale of Dutchman Wesley Sneijder to Inter Milan.

One of the main sticking points in Real’s pursuit of Alonso in recent weeks has been their insistence that they did not have the ready cash to meet Benitez’s demands following a spending spree that has seen them spend in excess of £165m on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema.

Benitez has always remained adamant that this is not his nor Liverpool’s problem however and has continually made it clear that unless his value of Alonso is met then he will not be allowed to leave.

With the two parties now edging closer to an agreement and with a channel of communication now flowing freely again between Anfield and the Bernabeu it is looking increasingly likely that a deal will be struck in the coming days.

Liverpool Target Steven Defour Eyes Anfield Move As Reds Ponder Xabi Alonso Replacement

Steven Defour has joined Roma’s Alberto Aquilani on the list of candidates to replace Xabi Alonso at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield and has admitted his interest in an £18m Anfield move.

While Real Madrid have yet to match Liverpool’s valuation on Alonso, Defour, 21, said: ‘I have an agreement with Standard Liege that I could go to a top club, and Liverpool fit the bill.’

Defour, who is under contract until 2013, is also wanted by Real Madrid should they fail to prise Alonso away from Anfield.

'Steven's name has been mentioned not only at Real Madrid, but also at Liverpool - they are looking at him too,' said the player's agent, Paul Stefani.

'Normally he would stay for another year, but nobody could say no to clubs like those - and Liege would not stand in his way.'

Everton, Arsenal and Aston Villa have previously shown interest in the promising playmaker, who inspired Liege to their first title in 25 years.

Mark Lawrenson: Results Don’t Matter But Lack Of Sharpness Will

There’s only one thing worse than playing in a 3-0 defeat – not playing in it. So it’s not the result against Espanyol that should give anyone cause for concern ahead of the new season – it’s the fact that Jamie Carragher might not have one of his main defensive partners alongside him to take on Tottenham’s strikeforce a week on Sunday.

It’s typical that in the summer Liverpool let Sami Hyypia go that injuries to Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger have disrupted the pre-season preparations.

It seems that Agger will be okay for the beginning of the campaign which is a relief. But pre-season is like your revision – you need it to be ready for the tough examination. If you don’t do it, you struggle.

And having an experienced, established centre-back who is fully on his game and ready for the real business of the Premier League is vital.

Put two such defenders on the sidelines during those precious weeks of pre-season and suddenly White Hart Lane in less than two weeks time looks a very tough proposition.

At least Carragher will have no problems – in fact, he will be out of the traps like a greyhound after the amount of running he has had to do in these friendlies.

But even if Agger recovers as he is expected to, missing such a good test like the one Espanyol gave Liverpool on Sunday night is so unfortunate.

You don’t want your players to come in and play catch-up at the start of a season and I think Rafael Benitez can count himself unlucky to have injury concerns before the campaign has even started.

The fact is Degen and San Jose are unproven and neither can deliver the kind of automatic reliability you got when you could bring Hyypia in to plug the gaps at the back.

But let’s look at things positively. Benitez is currently going about solving his issues very well, especially in the case of Xabi Alonso.

I said here last week how important it was to get the cash in for the player as swiftly as possible and getting close to a conclusion of the deal with four weeks of the transfer window left is a good bit of business.

And one thing is also for certain – losing 3-0 to Espanyol in a pre-season friendly should not cause Benitez or anyone else sleepless nights.

I remember at Anfield that we always used to be notorious bad starters in the summer warm-ups - and the lads in the boot room couldn’t have given a monkey’s.

They might have given us stick for playing badly in a friendly but privately they’d be laughing about it.

They, like I’m sure Benitez is this week, were delighted we had been stopped from getting carried away and they knew that all the running we were doing chasing the ball was getting us primed for the important stuff.

Because a good competitive 90 minutes, even one when you lose 3-0, is worth far more than anything you can do in week on the training ground.

So Sunday night was great for everyone involved – and I feel a real setback for those who weren’t.

Rafael Benitez's Liverpool Face Unique Pressure - Phil Thompson

Ex-assistant manager Phil Thompson, a title winner with Liverpool as a player, believes the side he played in didn't face as much pressure as Rafael Benitez's current squad.

“There wasn't the same pressure on us back then,” he told LFC Magazine. “We weren't expected to go out and win the title because we hadn't won it for so long.”

“Saying that, it had been seven years and the gap was a bit of a burden for us. It was a new team that Shanks was putting together. I was just a young lad when we won that first one, a midfielder that was making it.”

Thompson believes it takes determination throughout the season to win a title.

“You have to dig deep at times," he added. “People think that when we were winning those seven titles Liverpool were fantastic week in, week out. We weren't.”

“We had to dig deep playing in some of the lesser games to actually scrape a 1-0 win or a 2-1.”

Talking about the current squad, Thompson intimated that Liverpool need to be more ruthless.

“We need to be able to put teams away," the 55 year-old explained. “Even against Stoke at home last season, where we had about 27 attempts on goal, that aggressive streak to finish them off was missing.

“Liverpool blitzed the top four but still haven't won the title. We've only lost two games all season, but haven't won the title.

"If it had been a position where we drew against all those top teams but beat the lesser lights, with respect, we would probably have won the league."

Voronin Expects Regular Role

Andriy Voronin is confident he will play a prominent role for Liverpool in the 2009/10 campaign.

The Ukraine international spent last season on loan at Hertha Berlin after being deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield.

He is, however, back in England and has featured regularly for the Reds during their pre-season preparations.

Having rebuilt his confidence in Germany last year, following a difficult debut season in the Premier League following his 2007 arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, Voronin believes he is now better equipped to force his way into Rafa Benitez's plans.

"I spoke to Rafa Benitez before my return and he said I need to work hard to get a chance in the first team," Voronin told Bild.

"So far I have featured in every pre-season friendly, despite all the competition for places.

"I am not afraid of all the strikers we have here. I am prepared to fight for a place in the side as I do not plan on sitting around on the bench."

While keen to prove his worth on Merseyside, Voronin does admit that he would have welcomed the opportunity to remain at Hertha had the club been in a position to make that possible.

"I would have loved to stay on at Hertha, no doubt about it," he added.

"I was very disappointed, since I gave my best for the club.

"(Manager) Lucien Favre is not the only one making decisions, though, there is also a general manager and a board of directors.

"But going there was great for my career and I hope to benefit this season."

Liverpool Close In On Poulsen

Sky Sports News understands Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen.

Juve are open to the sale of the Denmark international and a number of sides have been linked with an interest in his services.

Premier League duo Fulham and Everton are among those clubs said to be admirers of the 29-year-old.

But it is believed that Rafa Benitez's Liverpool are in pole position to secure Poulsen's signature.

It is speculated that the Reds' move for Poulsen could be linked with Xabi Alonso's uncertain future, amid interest from Real Madrid.

Liverpool FC Stadium Architects Make New Appointments

Alan Palmer and Francis Gallagher have been appointed principals of the UK arm of HKS, the global architectural practice which built the Dallas Cowboys stadium and designed the new home for Liverpool FC.

Under the new London office structure, Palmer and Gallagher will lead the 90-person UK practice, overseeing architectural leadership, business development and operational management. They will be supported by five divisional executives, each representing the UK healthcare, education, workplace, hospitality and sports divisions.

Speaking on the strengths of the UK practice, Gallagher said: “Healthcare and education are strong sectors for us in the UK, and we are now developing opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa for these types of projects. Sports stadia design, especially in Eastern Europe, is also a growth area which, along with hospitality, is extending our international presence.”

Ralph Hawkins, HKS chairman and chief executive officer commented: “The appointment of Alan and Francis brings clarity to the architectural leadership of the UK business, and the revised structure strengthens London’s offer in its specialists sectors, both domestically and overseas. London is HKS’s platform for international expansion into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, allowing us to bring best-in-class talent from both sides of the Atlantic to current and prospective clients.”

As the new executive management, Palmer and Gallagher will report to the HKS Executive Committee at its corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

Liverpool's Poor Pre-Season Form Doesn't Matter – Albert Riera

Liverpool have picked up a series of poor results in their pre-season, the latest being their 3-0 reverse to Espanyol in Barcelona yesterday, but winger Albert Riera has downplayed the significance of this result.

“I think this kind of match is all about being ready for the start of the season," the Spaniard told the club's official website.

“It was a fantastic game for them [Espanyol] and they played better than us. They have trained for around 10 days more than us and I think you saw this clearly. When you are in pre-season, 10 days is a lot.”

Riera pointed out that Liverpool's Spanish contingent returned to training later due to their involvement in the Confederates Cup, saying, “Some of us came back from our national teams a little bit later and have only had 10 or 12 days' training. We need a little bit more before the start of the season, but we will be ready.

"Of course we are disappointed because we lost. Even if it's a friendly match, you always want to win, but as I said, it is all about being ready for the very first game."

Reflecting on his time at his former club, Riera said, “I spent three very good years at Espanyol, but of course fans want players to stay at their club and are not happy about it when they leave.”

“But now I am playing for Liverpool. I am very happy here and the fans are supporting me. This is the most important thing.”

Irish Minnows Await Liverpool

Ireland has already hosted one of the unlikeliest pre-season pairings of the summer - Shamrock Rovers and Real Madrid - but that match-up is about to be surpassed in the David versus Goliath stakes.

Tiny Dunmanway Town from the southern Irish county of Cork are preparing to host the might of Liverpool - or at least a Liverpool XI, which they are assured will feature some of the club's big-name stars.

The amateur side, who play in the West Cork Soccer League, landed one of the coups of the summer when they optimistically invited last season's English Premier League runners-up to visit, only for the Reds to accept their offer.

They have since spent the summer readying the town, which has a population of around 2,500, for the arrival of one of the world's most famous club sides on Thursday.

The team has borrowed a local school's Gaelic Games pitch for the day and has drafted in just over 7,000 seats - from the same temporary stands used in Shamrock Rovers' narrow 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid in July.

"We normally play in a farmer's field in front of around 20 people," manager John Buckley told BBC Sport.

"Someone might normally bring a deckchair or something to sit on, so our capacity will go from one to 7,000 for this game."

Buckley is a lifelong Liverpool fan himself and says the one-off game has created massive excitement in the area and nationally.

"The town has been painted red to welcome Liverpool and it's just given a huge boost to the area," he said.

"There will be fans coming from all over Ireland, as well as from England and beyond."

Club treasurer Andrew Healy says the local anticipation is akin to Nick Hornby's book Fever Pitch.

The team have recent signing David Hall, a local doctor, to thank for Liverpool's visit as he used a number of football contacts and perseverance to persuade the Reds to take them up on their offer.

Hall has been made captain for the day for his efforts, but it is not the only highlight of his week as his wife is also due to give birth to their first baby on the day of the match.

"I don't think there's any chance of me missing this match," he said.

"But don't be surprised if you see me bolting from the pitch mid-way through."

The hosts have also been given permission by the Football Association of Ireland to draft in five players from teams in the League of Ireland - the country's professional and semi-professional divisions.

As for the team they will face, Liverpool say that it is likely to be made up mainly of reserves, but that there should be some big names travelling.

The Dunmanway manager, unsurprisingly, is hoping to see one name in particular on the opposing team-sheet.

"We're hoping that because Steven Gerrard didn't make the pre-season trip to Asia that he'll need the match practice," Buckley said.

"To see him here would be a dream come true.

"But I'm not bothered - even to be playing the reserves is a massive deal for us."

The tie was briefly threatened by an invasion of local rabbits, who dug holes in the pitch but have since been scared away by the construction of the temporary stands.

Hall - a Manchester United fan - is hoping his own charges will not display any "rabbit in headlights" symptoms and is confident of keeping the scores down for at least the first half.

"I'm a bit worried for my players to be honest, but we should be all right, we'll try and hold them out until half time," he said.

Buckley, meanwhile, is expecting many in the crowd to be cheering for the visitors, but is ready to put aside his Liverpool loyalties for the day and concentrate on his own team's efforts.

"We'll give it a good go and hopefully we'll outshine Shamrock Rovers' efforts against Madrid," he said.

Liverpool Told To Forget Move For Priceless' Villa

Valencia boss Unai Emery insists the club will not sell their 'priceless' striker David Villa to Liverpool.

Villa has already turned down moves to Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid this summer, while Manchester United are also interested.

Anfield chief Rafa Benitez wants to pair Villa with Fernando Torres, with Liverpool reckoning their Spanish hitman can persuade his international strike partner to head to Merseyside.

Villa is expected to play his first pre- season game in a friendly against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

But Emery insists anyone preparing to launch a bid for the 26-year-old will be wasting their time.

Emery said: 'We don't want to sell him because he is priceless. Barcelona and Real Madrid have already shown an interest in him but David decided to come back to us.

'That was an unbelievable feeling for the club and we don't believe he will change.

'He is willing to play for us and everything else is just speculation.'

Real Madrid Line Up Belgium Starlet Steven Defour As Talks To Sign Liverpool Midfielder Xabi Alonso Drag On

Real Madrid will make a move for Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour if there is no progress in talks to sign Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.

The Spanish giants had hoped to reach an agreement by the end of Monday to sign 27-year-old Alonso after taking part in face-to-face talks with Anfield officials in Barcelona on Sunday.

Madrid director Jose Angel Sanchez met Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow as the Reds were losing 3-0 at Espanyol.

Purslow is holding out for £30m with reports in Spain suggesting they want another £4m in performance-related add-ons.

Madrid's last formal bid was for a maximum £25m - including add-ons - though it is thought they will rise at least another £3m.

Alonso, 27, has made his intentions to move to Spain clear and Madrid are reluctant to be pushed around by Liverpool.

It is with that in mind that they have moved for Defour, though it is unclear whether they are using the interest to put pressure on Liverpool.

The highly rated 21-year-old Belgium international has coincidentally been linked to Liverpool as a potential replacement for Alonso and his club are thought to want £17m.

Defour has also been tracked by Everton, Aston Villa and Arsenal.