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Rafa Benitez now admits Liverpool legend had an agreement to join Arsenal back in 2008
Over the past few decades, Liverpool have seldom sold to or bought players from Arsenal, who they’ve often been in direct competition with.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s switch from Arsenal to Liverpool in 2017 remains the last time the two clubs did business.
Arsenal famously tried to sign Luis Suarez in 2013 when Arsene Wenger was still in charge, a move that never came to fruition despite an unforgettable £40,000,001 bid.
And before Oxlade-Chamberlain’s move that did get over the line, the two clubs hadn’t done business since 1991 when Michael Thomas swapped Highbury for Anfield.
That being said, when speaking on the ‘’ podcast, former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has now admitted that one of his former stars actually had an agreement to head to north London.
Benitez revealed that Xabi Alonso was ready to move to Arsenal, and was even asking not to play for Liverpool to avoid becoming cup-tied.
Rafa Benitez says Xabi Alonso wanted to leave Liverpool for Arsenal in 2008
Of course, Alonso never wore an Arsenal shirt in his career, and on the podcast Benitez was discussing the saga with Jamie Carragher and went some way to explaining why.
Benitez said: “Xabi is a very good player and a very clever person. He is someone who is right. I could carry on with him.
READ MORE: Gary Neville disagrees after what Jamie Carragher has said about Arsenal this season
“Why we went for Gareth Barry is because he could play in three different positions and we needed to sell.
“Xabi had an agreement because I told him we needed to sell. Xabi was talking with one club and he had an agreement, I know the figures.
“The year after we played Standard Liege in pre-season. We had [Javier] Mascherano and Lucas [Leiva] in the Olympic Games, [Steven] Gerrard had a lower back problem and then we had to play [Damien] Plessis and him. He had an agreement with Arsenal and he didn’t want to [get cup tied].
“I told you [Carragher] and Gerrard. I remember because I was surprised and I will criticise you now. I told you and Gerrard that he had an agreement and he had to play because we cannot play with two lads in the most important game of the season to qualify for the Champions League.
“I told you both and when you were coming out for the warm-up you said poor Xabi. Not poor Xabi, no! Xabi is playing for our club at the time.”
Xabi Alonso could have partnered Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal
For context, in the 2008/09 season, the one Alonso was intended to play at Arsenal, the Gunners had all of Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere in the middle, just to name a few.
Liverpool actually went on to finish ahead of Arsenal in 2nd that season, with Wenger’s side finishing in fourth.
Of course, Alonso then went on to join Real Madrid the following summer, a move he’s probably not too regretful that he now waited for.
So whilst Liverpool fans will regret that Alonso ever left, and Arsenal supporters will have wished he came to north London, the Spaniard is probably sitting quite content.
That being said, Arsenal may only need one more signing right now if they are going to win the Premier League this season.