Xabi Alonso, the Liverpool midfielder who was a part of the Spanish squad that won the EURO 2008, is still unsettled at Liverpool, according to his agent Inaki Ibanez.
Alonso has been linked to a move outside Anfield throughout this transfer window, with a bid by Italian giants Juventus not matching Rafael Banitez’s assessment of the defensive midfielder. Another last minute transfer attempt was made by Arsenal, which was not successful primarily due to monetary reasons.
Also, with a move for Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry being unsuccessful, Banitez could not afford to lose another midfielder in the form of Alonso.
According to Ibanez, though Alonso is willing to move out in the coming January transfer window, his present focus was on playing well for Liverpool, especially in the wake of the coming match against rivals Manchester United at Anfield.
Liverpool seem to be all set to play Man U and Alonso is in the middle of Rafael Banitez’s midfield plans, since Steven Gerrard is out injured with a groin injury. The injury also kept him Gerrard out of England’s World Cup qualifying win over Andorra.
The coming home match will be crucial for new signing Robbie Keane, who has failed to find the net for his first five games for Liverpool.
This match will also serve as the club debut for Liverpool’s Albert Riera, who scored a brace on his debut against Man U, representing Manchester City.
Meanwhile, for new Devil’s signee Bulgarian strike sensation Dimitar Berbatov, the previous strike partner of Keane, it will be a chance to prove his worth to the club.
