Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso has revealed that he came close to join Arsenal during his Liverpool days, but the Gunners failed by an evaluation of just £3million.
The 35-year-old midfielder, who won one FA cup and one Champions League crown during his Merseyside days, revealed how the Gunners failed to match the £18m valuation of Liverpool. Eventually in 2009, the midfielder maestro was sold to Real Madrid for a whopping price of £30 million.
Furthermore, Metro Sport has stated that Liverpool’s then manager Rafa Benitez tried to replace Xabi with the then Aston Villa skipper Gareth Barry, and this triggered the move further.
“Yeah, he [Benitez] was open. He showed me his cards – very clearly. I said to him: ‘Of course, Rafa, I accept this. You are the one that has made the decision.’ But in the end, nothing happened,” Alonso told the Liverpool Echo.
“That’s football and I had no problems with him. The thing with the birth of my child, that had nothing to do with Benitez either.
“I guess my mind changed, my position in the team changed, a little bit that summer – because I wasn’t expecting the manager to say I could be sold. But that’s all.
“I was really close to Juventus and close to Arsenal, but Liverpool were asking for £18m, and they were both offering £15m!
“So that’s why it didn’t happen.”
Arsene Wenger has been very sceptical about his transfer dealings and Alonso’s name in his ‘list of players he failed to sign’ comes as no surprise. Just in case, if you don’t know, that list enrolls the likes of Ibrahimovic, Messi, Ronaldo, N’Golo Kante, Di Maria, Drogba and what not.
