According to reports in the Italian sporting press, Juventus have offered Liverpool €15 million euros for Xabi Alonso.

It is claimed that a four-hour meeting was held yesterday at Anfield involving Rafa Benítez and Juventus representative, Jean Claude Blanc, with a second meeting planned next week to tie up the deal.

Alonso himself has not been contacted though the reports indicate that he is not uninterested in the move that would reunite him with Mohammed Sissoko, who signed for the Italian giants last January.

The only fly in the ointment at this stage is that Liverpool are apparently holding out for their original asking price of €20 million.