Former Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, has disclosed that Xabi Alonso had a deal in place to move to Arsenal in 2009.
Alonso was a key player for Liverpool, winning the Champions League under Benitez in 2005 before later moving on to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Despite nearly joining Arsenal, Alonso found himself staying at Anfield under Rafa Benitez due to unforeseen circumstances.
He was hesitant to play in a Champions League qualifier for fear of being cup-tied after reaching an agreement with the Gunners. However, fate intervened and Alonso ended up remaining with Liverpool instead.
Speaking on the Sky Bet Stick to Football podcast, Benitez said: “We played Standard de Liege for a Champions League qualifier and we had Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva in the Olympic Games, Steven Gerrard had a lower back problem, so we had to play [Damien] Plessis and Xabi.
“Xabi had an agreement with Arsenal and didn’t want to get cup tied.
“I told Jamie Carragher and Gerrard before the game that he had an agreement and doesn’t want to play, but he must because it is the most important game to qualify for the Champions League. Then when you were going out for the warm-ups, you said, ‘Poor Xabi.’ Not poor Xabi, he is playing for our club at this time. During the season he was our best player and didn’t go to Arsenal because he had to play [for us].”
