Real Madrid are ready to ditch plans to sign Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. Kop boss Rafa Benitez has slapped a £35million price tag on the head of the Spanish midfield ace.

And Real chief Miguel Pardeza concedes: "Xabi Alonso is a great player and we can't deny this team would greatly benefit from his work but it looks like the situation may not end up well for us.

"We will nevertheless keep fighting for him and hope negotiations become reasonable again in the future."