Real Madrid’s sporting director Miguel Pardeza has confirmed the club are still hoping to sign both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa from Liverpool.
Real have already embarked on a lavish spending spree this summer, but new coach Manuel Pellegrini has identified Alonso as his ideal signing.
Reports now claim that the two clubs are closing on agreeing a deal with Real ready to pay €35million (£30million).
On Wednesday, Real completed a deal to bring back Esteban Granero from Getafe, but Pardeza denied that he was an alternative to Alonso.
“We do not see him as an alternative to Xabi Alonso as he has other characteristics,” declared Pardeza in Publico.
“The problem with Alonso is there are no alternatives, with the way football is evolving, the creative central midfielder is becoming fewer and fewer.
“Alonso is not a fad, there are just not may alternatives – not in the Americas or in Europe are their players who can perform his task.”
Pardeza admits talks with Liverpool have not been straightforward.
He added: “They stalled, from day one – the demands of Liverpool were beyond what Madrid was willing to pay and that is very difficult to understand.
“That is not the way to get things done, but I have not given up hope we can solve this.”
Pardeza admits that the speculation regarding fellow Liverpool mifielder Javier Mascherano, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, does complicate Alonso’s situation.
“As I said I do not believe this [Alonso] will be an easy situation to solve, and I don’t for one minute think that Mascherano will be easier to move than Alonso,” he added.
He also confirmed that Alonso’s team-mate Arbeloa was still a target.
“On Arbeloa, that is an option which – for the time being – has come to nothing,” he said
“Liverpool do not really have the desire to let him go, even though he has just a year left on his contract.
“But there is a month to go in the market and anything can change, and I would not deny that we would very much like to have Arbeloa.”
Pardeza did dismiss claims that Rafa Benitez was stalling when it came to negotiations with Real.
“I do not see that at all, at least with me and Jorge [Valdano, Real director general] he is open and discusses things, I don’t see that as a problem at all,” he added.
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