The Spaniard has gone on to become one of the world’s best midfielders, and was close to joining Arsenal nearly a decade ago.
Xabi Alonso during his time with Real Madrid
Reds legend Xabi Alonso sat down for an exclusive interview with the Liverpool Echo, and shared how he could easily have joined the Gunners in 2009 when he left Anfield…had the London club offered just £3 million more than the £15 million bid they submitted.
The Bayern Munich star, who has already announced his impending retirement, eventually joined Real Madrid eight years ago, and went on to win the Champions League and the La Liga title with Los Blancos.
He then moved to the Bavarian giants in 2014, and went on to win two (soon-to-be three) Bundesliga titles.
But he told the Liverpool Echo how his career could have taken a different path back in 2009, had Arsenal offered just £3 million more for his services:
“I was really close to Juventus and I was close to Arsenal. But, it was just £3m. Liverpool were asking £18m and both offered £15m – so that’s why it didn’t happen.”
The news will be unpleasant reading for Gunners fans, who have accused their board and manager Arsene Wenger of failing to part with the kind of cash that is required to compete at the very highest level.
And how different things could have been for the north London side, had they managed to bring the classy Spaniard to the Emirates all those years ago.
Xabi Alonso during his Liverpool days
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