ALONSO SET TO WALK AWAY
Disillusioned Kop midfielder wants out
RAFA Benitez's defiant stance on Gareth Barry is forcing Xabi Alonso to seek an Anfield exit before the end of the month.
Alonso has become disillusioned with his manager's refusal to back down on his pursuit of the £18million replacement from Villa.
And although the 26-year-old Spaniard is now cup-tied from Europe, he has decided his relationship with Benitez (below) is beyond repair.
Alonso was furious to discover he had been offered to several European clubs without his knowledge over the summer - many of whom he would never have entertained joining.
He feels he has been treated with a lack of respect.
Any hope that the overwhelming support he received from The Kop last week would heal the fractured wounds have been swiftly erased - but the club are not prepared to sell him on the cheap.
Benitez wanted Alonso sold to Juventus last summer, but at the time the player had shown no desire to leave and Liverpool never got a formal offer from the Italians.
Arsenal's interest has also failed to lead to a bid. Benitez had no option but to use Alonso against Standard Liege in midweek due to Javier Mascherano's Olympic duty and an injury to Steven Gerrard.
That will make him a less attractive target for the top European clubs.
Backlash
The Liverpool boss is now awaiting the Americans' response to his refusal to give up on Barry.
They are known to be unimpressed by his latest antics, but are also wary of provoking another furious backlash from The Kop if they go head-to-head with their belligerent manager.
Worryingly for Rafa, the feuding owners are talking to each other again as they unite on the Barry issue, although they seem powerless to censure him given their experiences last season.
They wanted the manager to privately reassess options after they said they weren't prepared to pay £18million for Barry.
But club sources insist the owners never ruled out the possibility of resurrecting the Barry deal in future and were prepared to await further developments.
They are staggered the manager has broken from the club line to air his grievances on the eve of the season. For his part, Benitez feels undermined because the club were prepared to pay £18million two weeks ago but then changed their mind.
Sources close to Benitez claim he almost resigned over the Barry affair and the timing of that leak ahead of yesterday's league game at Sunderland upset all levels of the club, as did the revelation Benitez tried to delay the recent purchase of Robbie Keane until AFTER Barry was signed.
The Spanish boss will not take no for an answer on Barry. He believes he can exploit the two loopholes in the club statement on him.
If Alonso leaves he will need to be replaced. A Villa u-turn on the fee would also open the door for the deal to be resurrected.
Both eventualities remain fraught with uncertainty, which is why the board wanted other avenues discussed.
An Anfield source said: "Xabi doesn't really want to leave Liverpool because he loves the fans and club.
"The Kop's reaction last week meant the world to him but he has been put in a very difficult position over the summer. If a top Euro- pean side came in for him he feels he'd have no choice but to go.
"It's a very difficult position for a player when he feels the manager doesn't believe in him anymore and it's clear Rafa is determined to replace him with Barry."
