Xabi Alonso to be offered new deal in a bid to fend off interest from Chelsea.
Real Madrid are set to offer a new long-term deal for defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso as a way of ending Chelsea’s pursuit of signing the 31-year old this summer, according to the Daily Star.
New Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is still an admirer of the Spain international, after managing Madrid for the past three years, and has been interested in bringing Alonso back to the Premier League.
Having spent five years with Liverpool, Alonso has plenty of Premier League experience, and in that time also won a Champions League medal before leaving Anfield to become one of the world’s best anchor midfielders at Real Madrid in 2009.
Alonso played 42 times under Mourinho last season, and it is thought that his long-range passing ability is what is drawing the attention of the Portuguese manager, with Chelsea still lacking a deep lying ball playing midfielder in their side.
With a year still left on his contract, locking Alonso down will not only see Real Madrid keep hold of the Spaniard for the rest of his years at peak level, but also significantly raise the transfer fee, making it much harder for the Premier League club to sign their summer target.
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