Xabi Alonso decided to exit Liverpool when the club tried to sell him last summer.

The Spaniard spent five successful seasons at Anfield before leaving for Real Madrid in a £30million move this summer.

However Reds manager Rafa Benitez tried to offload the 27-year-old 12 months ago to raise money for prospective signings, in particular Gareth Barry.

At the time the former Real Sociedad ace had struggled for form making just 16 Premier League starts in 2007/08 but an outstanding campaign last time out saw Real lodge their interest.

Despite handing in a transfer request in July ,Alonso admitted that he had decided to leave the club after they had tried to sell him against his wishes a year previous.

“It was a very difficult decision for me to make,” he told Sky Sports News.

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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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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez have insisted that Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso will be fit for the last three Premier League matches to keep up the pressureon Manchester United.

Torres, who has scored 16 times for his club this season, missed Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Newcastle after suffering a hamstring problem in training on the eve of the Anfield match.

His compatriot Alonso did start but was forced off after falling victim to a shocking challenge by Newcastle’s Liverpool-born midfielder Joey Barton which saw him sent off.

Alonso left the pitch on a stretcher but Benitez played down fears that the midfielder will miss the final three matches of the season.

He also insisted Torres could have featured on the substitutes bench but decided not to gamble his fitness at such a crucial stage in the season.

“Torres had a problem with his hamstring and in the end we decided to leave him out of the squad,” said Benitez, after goals by Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt and Lucas halved United’s lead at the top of the table to three points.

“We had to decide whether to put him on the bench because to start with him would have been very dangerous.

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