Wenger gunning for Alonso

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to make another move to land Liverpool midfield kingpin Xabi Alonso in the January transfer window.

Wenger was reportedly close to landing the Spain international in the close season after the departures of Gilberto Silva and Mathieu Flamini.

Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry was earmarked for a move to Anfield and Alonso was the player who would have been sacrificed by Benitez. But the Barry deal never materialised due to Villa’s inflated asking price and Alonso, against all the football odds, stayed on Merseyside despite a late bid from Juventus which ended in failure.

And the 27-year-old has grabbed his opportunity with both hands appearing 17 times in the Premier League, scoring two goals – including the winner that ended Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten home run.

Alonso has been a model of consistency this season and Benitez is likely to do all he can to keep the Basque-born player at Anfield despite the pair’s relationship becoming strained last season when Alonso’s partner hit problems with her pregnancy and the midfielder didn’t want to play.

Benitez knows in Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Alonso he has three central midfield players who he can implicitly trust and he will be loathe to lose any of the trio.

The Reds boss in fact will be hoping he will be given the green light to add to his squad in the transfer window without moving out any of his first-team players.

Gunners boss Wenger meanwhile is desperate to add some experience to a midfield, which without Cesc Fabregas looks distinctly ordinary. But Wenger’s not renowned for splashing the cash and he would have to lodge a bid of around £10million to interest the Liverpool moneymen.