One more time….
July 18, 2009 6:28 pm Liverpool, Premier League
The Starship Los Galacticos have apparently submitted a bid in the region of £35million for our supposedly want away midfield maestro Xabi Alonso. Or is that £20million? Maybe they’ve lowered their bid in an effort to test our resolve? Maybe this is all bullshit pundit speculation and Alonso wants to stay? Maybe he’s keen to link up with the hero of the Istanbul penalty shootout who is now riding the pine over at the Bernabeau? Alonso is set to head back to training at Melwood tomorrow (while the rest of the squad plays a “friendly” with Rapid Vienna) so I guess we’ll see what happens.
Will he stay or will he go? I know I asked this question last summer and at first drew the same conclusion. I wanted him to stay put and continue with the mind bending 40 yard through balls. By the end of it, I was so sick of the speculation that I just wanted him to get the fuck out and have it over with. It’s starting to get to that point again. Who to replace him, though? Apparently this man. One Mr. Alberto Aquilani. Italian playmaker extraordinaire and current Roma midfield fixture. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t watch Calcio Italiano. I know nothing about this boy. Although I’m not one to be wowed by YouTube videos, he has quite a few impressive ones.
Is he the man to slot into Alonso’s place? Apparently, he’s not the deep lying midfielder we’ve relied so heavily on in the past. More Cesc Fabregas than Andrea Pirlo. We already have a dynamic second striker, don’t we? Is this the answer? The Monster Mach holding down the fort and 2 attacking mids behind our Spanish Golden Boy? The cash strapped Romans are apparently keen to sell and from what I know, are more concerned about hanging onto Daniele De Rossi. It’s all about the defence for those pasta boys.
With that said, news like this is not good. Daniel has had some serious injury woes over the last 2 seasons so this makes me as nervous as a drag queen at a tractor pull. The season hasn’t even started yet and already that troublesome back problem is flaring up. Let’s hope the physios at Melwood are able to get this sorted before opening day. I’d hate to see him fall even farther down the pecking order.
-steven.