The TWO Liverpool players Xabi Alonso wanted to sign for Real Madrid | OneFootball

There are two players in Liverpool’s squad that Xabi Alonso wanted to sign for Real Madrid in the summer, according to reports from Spain.

Well-connected journalist Diego Torres revealed on the Second Captains podcast that Alonso had analysed the Madrid squad and wanted to bolster the midfield when he took over in the summer, suggesting three potential signings.

Los Blancos president Florentino Perez rejected Alonso’s request, asking him to make do with their existing midfield options.

One of them was Martin Zudimendi, who’d worked under Alonso in Real Sociedad’s youth ranks and reportedly turned down a move to Liverpool last summer. The Spain international, of course, ended up moving to Arsenal.

The other two players are part of Liverpool’s squad. Perhaps fate will conspire to give Alonso a chance to work with them in the future at Anfield. Watch this space.

Alexis Mac Allister

There have long been rumours linking the Argentinian World Cup winner to the Spanish capital.

“I read the rumours, but that’s all they were,” the midfielder’s father Carlos told AS earlier this season.

“There were no contacts. In any case, it’s always nice when my son is linked with the biggest clubs in the world.

“Real Madrid is a very big club, but so is Liverpool, and we must be responsible and respect the institution he belongs to and that believed in him.”

While those rumours have continued to rumble on, Mac Allister’s name actually went slightly under the radar over the summer.

It’s a fresh revelation that Alonso felt he was the profile of midfielder Madrid were lacking, explicitly asking the club’s hierarchy to explore signing him.

Mac Allister ended up scoring Liverpool’s match-winner when they cranked up the pressure on Alonso with a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid back in November. That must’ve stung.

Florian Wirtz

Wirtz was not a Liverpool player when Alonso made it clear to Real Madrid that he wanted to reunite with his standout player at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Germany international was still at his boyhood club, assessing a wealth of potential options, when Alonso got straight to work with Los Blancos, prepping for the summer’s Club World Cup.

At that stage, Bayern Munich still appeared the likeliest destination. Madrid never made an approach, despite tabloid rumours to the contrary.

Both Manchester City and Liverpool held talks with the rising star, and he chose the latter.

After a slow start to life in the Premier League, Wirtz is starting to notch goals and assists more consistently. Having been signed for a fee in excess of £100million, he’s a key pillar of this new-look Liverpool side and the project going forward.

Whether that will be under Arne Slot remains to be seen.

If the Liverpool board do decide to make a change, Alonso would be the most obvious candidate for a number of reasons. Chiefly a proven track record of getting the best out of their marquee signing, alongside a keenness to work with him again.