Liverpool to cash in on Alonso

Xabi Alonso’s future may be sorted out soon with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez forcing the midfielder’s hand with an ultimatum.

Benitez is demanding that Alonso make his decision within the next 48 hours, with Liverpool desperate for cash to pay up ₤60 million of their debt by December as part of their refinancing deal.

And with ₤40m of that loan still to be settled this week, Spanish tabloid AS claim that the Reds will have to accept Real Madrid's bid for the Basque midfielder in order to meet the loan repayment deadline.

Reports from Spain suggest that Los Blancos' recent bid of €27 million was rejected by Liverpool but the press now claim that talks between the both teams have been resuscitated.

The word from AS is that Los Merengues are now willing to bid around €30 million for Alonso.

Xabi is currently in San Sebastian, Spain, on a mini three-day holiday with his family as Liverpool do not resume training until Thursday. The Spain international is expected to have made a decision by then.