Benitez urges Alonso to stay with Liverpool

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said Saturday he had spoken to Real Madrid target Xabi Alonso and urged him to stay at Anfield, telling his fellow Spaniard that the fans loved him.

The unsettled Alonso has been tipped to join new signings Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka at the Bernabeu with Spanish media suggesting the move was imminent.

Alonso has avoided questions on the subject during the team’s pre-season tour of Asia and Friday held talks with Benitez, who sounded upbeat Saturday.

“I talked to Xabi yesterday and told him, as he can see here, that the fans love him and said to him ‘Maybe you have to stay,” Benitez said.

“You can see he is a really good player and I’ll be really pleased if he stays. All the players and his teammates want him to stay. If we keep Xabi I will be very pleased.”

Alonso has received rapturous support from fans in Singapore and is expected to play some part in their game against the national team here on Sunday after failing to take the field against Thailand on Wednesday.

He has been valued by Liverpool at around 36 million euros, but Real Madrid have reportedly offered less.