Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed how Xabi Alonso agreed to join Arsenal but the deal fell through.

    The pair worked together at Anfield for five years between 2004 and 2009, when Alonso moved to Real Madrid, where they enjoyed success together, winning the FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup, and the Spaniard has revealed that his former player, now Bayer Leverkusen manager, had agreed a move to the Gunners during the 2008 summer transfer window, only for it to fall through. 

    Benitez said: “Xabi Alonso is a very good player, a very intelligent player, a great person – when we approached Gareth Barry it was because he could play three positions and we had to sell someone, Xavi had an agreement, he spoke to a club and there was an agreement.

    “We played Standard Liege in the Champions League qualifiers, Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva went to Olympique, Steven Gerrard had a back problem so we had to play (Damien) Plessis and Xavi.”

    “Xavi has agreed with Arsenal and doesn’t want to be cup-tied. I told Jamie Carragher and Gerrard before the game that he has an agreement and doesn’t want to play. But he has to play because it’s the most important game to qualify for the Champions League.”

    “Then when you go out for the warm-up, you can say ‘poor Xavi’. Not that he’s poor, he played for our club at the time Promotion Ufabet, during the season he was our best player and didn’t go to Arsenal because he had to play for us.”

    “When we played Lazio in the last pre-season game and the fans were applauding Xavi, but he’s going to Arsenal, the fans love him.”