Rafa Benítez has expressed his desire to keep Xabi Alonso at Liverpool following reports of interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Alonso was linked with a move away from Anfield last summer with Benítez ready to sacrifice the Spain midfielder to raise the funds to sign Gareth Barry.
Juventus registered their interest in the 27-year-old but would not meet the £16 million asking price.
He has responded by excelling this season and Benítez admitted he is now counting on him to be a key part of the club’s development.
"We had an offer from Juventus and asked a big price as he is a big player. They couldn't meet it," Benítez said.
"In the end, Xabi has been having a very good season. He has been playing well in a lot of games and is a key player for us.
"We have a lot of confidence in him and he is a player we want to keep because he has the quality, and the game, that we need."
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Alonso was linked with a move away from Anfield last summer with Benítez ready to sacrifice the Spain midfielder to raise the funds to sign Gareth Barry.
Juventus registered their interest in the 27-year-old but would not meet the £16 million asking price.
He has responded by excelling this season and Benítez admitted he is now counting on him to be a key part of the club’s development.
"We had an offer from Juventus and asked a big price as he is a big player. They couldn't meet it," Benítez said.
"In the end, Xabi has been having a very good season. He has been playing well in a lot of games and is a key player for us.
"We have a lot of confidence in him and he is a player we want to keep because he has the quality, and the game, that we need."
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