Xabi Alonso tells Real Madrid to sign €75m Liverpool midfielder after agent said he’d ‘love’ him to move

Liverpool Football Club has always been a place where drama never sleeps. It is a club that has given the football world stories filled with joy, heartbreak, betrayal, loyalty, and unbelievable twists. And once again, Liverpool fans find themselves in the middle of a transfer storm that could shake the very foundation of Arne Slot’s new project. This time, the name at the centre of it all is Ryan Gravenberch, the tall, powerful, and elegant Dutch midfielder who has finally found his rhythm in the red shirt of Liverpool. But as history always shows, when Real Madrid begins to circle, no club in world football feels completely safe.

It all began with whispers from Spain. Reports claimed that Xabi Alonso, the man who once wore the red of Liverpool and now stands as the boss of Real Madrid, has told Florentino Perez and the Madrid board to bring Gravenberch to the Santiago Bernabeu. For Liverpool supporters, it felt like a cruel twist of fate. Xabi, the hero of Istanbul 2005, the man whose passing once controlled the midfield at Anfield, now targeting one of Liverpool’s brightest stars for Madrid. For years fans adored him, but football is ruthless, and sometimes loyalty gets swallowed by ambition.

This story has layers. Real Madrid had already hurt Liverpool in recent seasons. They had taken Trent Alexander-Arnold, the local boy, the Scouser who dreamed of captaining Liverpool one day, on a free transfer. It broke hearts across the city. Before that, Madrid had shown strong interest in Alexis Mac Allister and Ibrahima Konaté. The Spanish giants had been moving like a predator circling around the red meat of Liverpool’s success. And now, just as Gravenberch was starting to explode under Arne Slot, they want him too.

Ryan Gravenberch arrived from Bayern Munich back in 2023, signed by Jurgen Klopp. His first season was not easy. The Premier League is not like the Bundesliga, and he struggled for minutes, for confidence, for rhythm. Some even questioned if he was the right signing. But then Klopp left, and Arne Slot arrived. Under Slot, everything changed. Gravenberch was trusted in a deeper midfield role, his elegance on the ball mixed with his strength off it made him undroppable. He became a pillar of Slot’s system, helping Liverpool win the Premier League title. Suddenly the critics were silent, and fans began to see him as the future of their midfield.

And that is exactly why Madrid are circling. Alonso has seen it. He knows what Gravenberch can do. He knows how the Dutchman’s passing, his power, and his calmness can fit perfectly alongside Aurelien Tchouameni in Madrid’s midfield. According to reports, Alonso has personally told Perez: this is the man I want. This is my wish.

The number being talked about is €75 million. That is what Liverpool value him at. And Liverpool fans know this number is not just about money. It is about respect. It is about the fact that Liverpool are no longer a selling club. They fought hard to build a squad capable of winning again, and Slot is not a manager who wants to lose his best pieces. Yet even as fans shouted on social media that Gravenberch is not for sale, doubts began to creep in. Everyone knows that the pull of Madrid is different. For decades, the Spanish giants have been the dream of players everywhere. The white shirt, the Bernabeu, the Champions League history, the promises whispered by Perez—it is hard to resist.

Gravenberch’s own agent has added fuel to this fire. Back in April, Jose Fortes, the man who guides the Dutchman’s career, admitted openly that Madrid was always in their thoughts. He said when Ryan was just 16 years old, Barcelona wanted him. They could have moved then, but they chose Ajax for development. Still, Fortes confessed that the dream was always Madrid. His words were like a dagger to Liverpool hearts: “He’s good enough for Real Madrid. We would love for him to play for them.”

Imagine being a Liverpool supporter reading that. Your midfielder, the one you see as the future of the club, already has an agent dreaming of Madrid. Football is cruel, and these quotes made the fear grow louder. Yes, Liverpool hold his contract until 2028, yes, they can refuse to sell, but how do you keep a player who secretly dreams of wearing white in Spain?

Slot knows what is at stake. He is building a new Liverpool. The title last season was not the end, it was supposed to be the beginning. Gravenberch is at the heart of it. Lose him, and everything begins to wobble. Keep him, and Liverpool remain strong. It is not just about one transfer, it is about power. Can Liverpool say no to Madrid? Can they stand tall against the biggest club in the world? That is the question.

The truth is, Real Madrid’s midfield is already stacked. They have Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler. On paper, they do not need Gravenberch. But this is Madrid. They do not just buy what they need. They buy what they want. They buy to weaken rivals. They buy to stay untouchable. Alonso sees Gravenberch as the missing piece to his midfield puzzle, and when Madrid want someone badly enough, history shows they usually get him.

But Liverpool is not Bayern. Liverpool is not a stepping stone. This is a club that has fought its way back to the top. When fans sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” it is more than just words. It is a promise, a bond between the club and its people. And so, when Madrid whispers in Gravenberch’s ear, Liverpool fans are ready to fight back. They do not want another heartbreak. They do not want another star walking away.

What makes this story so emotional is the figure of Xabi Alonso at the centre. To Liverpool fans, Alonso is not just a former player. He is a legend. He was part of Istanbul 2005, the miracle night when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win the Champions League. He scored the rebound from the penalty that made it 3-3. His name is written in Liverpool’s history books forever. And now, that same man is using his position in Madrid to try and take away one of Liverpool’s most important stars. It feels like betrayal. It feels like being stabbed by someone you once called family.

Yet some fans understand. Alonso is now Madrid’s manager. His loyalty belongs to them. He has to do what is best for Madrid, not Liverpool. That is the reality of football. But it does not make it easier. When Liverpool fans see Alonso smiling on the Bernabeu touchline while reports link him to Gravenberch, the pain is sharp.

The next few months will be crucial. Liverpool have to convince Gravenberch that his future is in England, not Spain. They have to show him that under Slot he can become a legend, that he does not need to chase Madrid to fulfil his dreams. They have to remind him of the love of Anfield, the roar of the Kop, the history that beats inside every red shirt. Because if Madrid’s call grows too strong, then even a contract until 2028 may not be enough to hold him.

For now, Gravenberch continues to play. He has already started this season strongly, with a goal and an assist in four games. Every time he steps onto the pitch, the fans cheer louder, as if to remind him: we want you here, we need you here, you are Liverpool. But the fear is there too. Every performance makes Madrid want him more. Every good game strengthens Alonso’s belief that this is the man for his midfield.

It feels like a storm brewing. On one side, the red of Liverpool, proud, stubborn, desperate to protect their star. On the other side, the white of Madrid, powerful, irresistible, waving promises of glory. And in the middle, a young man from the Netherlands with the world at his feet.

This is not just a transfer story. This is a battle of identities. A battle of dreams. A battle that could decide the direction of Liverpool’s future.

And the truth is, nobody knows how it will end