It looks like Xabi Alonso‘s career at Liverpool is coming to an end.

The midfielder expects to hold talks with manager Rafael Benitez as Real Madrid are believed to be preparing a new, improved, bid for the 28 year-old.

A club source has now confirmed that Alonso has submitted a transfer request, with the Spanish player having previously only told Benitez verbally that he wanted to leave the club.

Now if Madrid produce an offer of at least £28million, the chances are that Benitez will agree to sell the man he signed from Real Sociedad for £10million in August 2004.

Alonso flew back from Spain today, having spent three days with his family in San Sebastian, determined to end a summer-long saga over his future.

Benitez has defiantly refused to let Alonso leave, and Real’s only official bid of £24million was rejected. But a formal transfer request clearly changes the situation.

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Alvaro Arbeloa have signed a 5-year contract with Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old Arbeloa passed a medical on Wednesday in Madrid
before completing his £3.5 million transfer
from Liverpool.

“The results of every test are very satisfactory,” Dr Carlos
Diez said. “He is delighted about playing for Real Madrid. It’s
always been his dream. He can’t wait to join his teammates.”

Arbeloa becomes the club’s seventh offseason signing, after
Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Raul Albiol, Alvaro Negredo
and Esteban Granero.

“Arbeloa’s versatility allows him to play anywhere in defence,”
Madrid said on their website. “He is a very regular and consistent
player who thrives in one-on-ones.”

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Real Madrid played against the Shamrock Rovers from Ireland in a club friendly on Monday night, but failed to impress despite winning 1 – 0.

The ’second Galacticos’ as the team is commonly referred to, began the match without a single Dutchman on the pitch. This adds to speculations on manager Pellegrini’s wish to sell most of the Dutch players.

Cristiano Ronaldo did form part of the starting line-up but failed to impress against the Irish.

The only goal was scored with just four minutes to go, and came from substitute forward Karim Benzema.

Real Madrid begin their 2009-10 La Liga campaign against Deportivo la Coruña on August 30.

Source: soccernews.com

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini says the Portuegese star Christiano Ronaldo does not have star mentality.

“He’s as I expected him to be. He is the first to arrive at a training session, he has fully integrated into the squad, he doesn’t act as a star,” he said Sunday during his first post-training press conference as Real’s new coach.

“He is a very talented but normal player who is devoted to Real Madrid. His image is very different to how he is as a player.”

Real signed the player from Manchester United last month on a six-year deal worth around 94 million euros (131 million dollars) and he will reportedly be paid 13 million euros each season, making him the most expensive player in the world.

The 24-year-old was officially unveiled before some 75,000 ecstatic Real fans on July 6 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

He had to be hurried away when spectators leapt over security barriers to try to get an autograpah.

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Christiano Ronaldo says he is proud to be the object of a £ 80 million bid from Real Madrid.

“I have had my time at Man United. It’s time to look forward and £80million is quite a sum of money. This deal is historic,” said Ronaldo, who is currently on holiday in Los Angeles.

“It’s flattering when two of the top teams in the world want you to play for them.

“Now I can look forward to Real Madrid and a new stage in my career. I learned of the deal here in LA and heard from my people that United had accepted.”

Source: football365.com

Kaka is set to join the ranks of Real Madrid after a medical exam on Monday.

Kaka, given permission to meet with Real officials between World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay, is believed to have already passed initial tests. His full medical was scheduled to take place a 9am local time, 1pm BST, at the national team’s base in Recife.

Unless there are any unexpected problems then Kaka will be confirmed as Real’s first signing following the return of Florentino Perez as club president.

The fee is reported to be £56m, which would smash the previous world record of £47 paid to Juventus by Real for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

Chelsea were linked with an even bigger bid for Kaka last week but that was later denied by all parties.

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Super agent Ernesto Bronzetti have revealed that Real Madrid have 250 million Euros to spend on transfers in the summer market.

With the return of Florentino Perez as Real Madrid president, several high-profile signings is expected at the Bernabeu this summer.

“Florentino Perez has €250m to spend on a list of players he wants,” Bronzetti told ‘ControCampo’ show on the Mediaset network.

“Among these players are [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, Kaka, [Franck] Ribery and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has already signed a contract.

“Of course, he will not be able to get everyone, but some players from the list will be Real Madrid players.”

Source: soccernews.com