Juve Threat In Hunt For Xabi Alonso
JUVENTUS have attempted to step up the pressure on Liverpool by insisting they may pull out of the running for midfielder Xabi Alonso.
The Italian Serie A club say manager Claudio Ranieri has two other transfer options in mind.
Juventus had previously confirmed their interest in the Spanish international with club president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli revealing he was set for talks with Alonso’s agent.
However, the clubs have been unable to agree a fee with Liverpool seeing Alonso in the £16million bracket.
Ranieri’s insistence that Alonso is only one of several options he is considering could be seen as an attempt to strengthen his club’s bargaining position after the former Chelsea manager hinted he may pull out of the deal.
“There are more than two names we are considering to strengthen our midfield,” he said.
“We will choose the player who gives us the best opportunity to improve this side.”
Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani is thought to be a potential target, but the club says they are in no rush to make a decision.
“We have never named names. It’s an important decision and we’ll consider it at length because the final choice must be within our budget,” revealed Juve’s chief officer Jean Claude Blanc. “We spend the right time evaluating players. It will be an investment of between 10 and 30 million euors (£8m – £23.5m). We will talk things over at length with Claudio Ranieri and his staff.”
Weekend reports suggested that Steve Finnan could be offered as part of a deal to break the impasse with Aston Villa over the transfer of midfielder Gareth Barry to Anfield.
The clubs remain some way apart in terms of valuation for the England midfielder with Liverpool’s fourth offer reaching £15m. But Villa are refusing to budge from their £20m valuation of the player.
Meanwhile Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry is in line for a key role in the changing face of European football.
The first general assembly of the newly-formed European Club Association holds its first meeting today.
More than 100 clubs, including at least one from all 53 UEFA members nations, will convene at UEFA headquarters in Nyon to formulate a strategy for tackling the game’s most pressing issues.
Key to the two-day meeting of the ECA, which has replaced the disbanded G14 cartel, will be the appointment of a 15-man board that is expected to include representatives of two English clubs, almost certainly Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon and Liverpool counterpart Rick Parry.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle are the other three English members.
Former German striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of Bayern Munich, is standing unopposed for the chairmanship.
Source: Liverpool Daily Post - 7 July
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