Xabi Alonso Not leaving Liverpool

Rafa Benitez has moved to play down talk of Xabi Alonso leaving Liverpool.

The Spanish midfielder did not play in the 1-1 friendly draw with Thailand on Wednesday, and was quoted as saying he could offer no 'guarantees' about his future.

Real Madrid are still keen to sign Alonso, and reports in the Spanish on Thursday claimed a deal was all but done.

However, Liverpool have denied this, and Benitez said after the squad arrived in Singapore on Thursday: "Alonso is here and he will enjoy the weather and the fans and the journalists.

"He is ready and can play."

A Liverpool spokesman backed up his manager, saying: "Xabi is with us in Singapore, and will train with the rest of the squad. He was injured ahead of the Thailand game, people can say what they like about that.

"And there has been no deal agreed with anyone for his transfer to anyone."

Benitez went on to dismiss speculation that Javier Mascherano also wants out of Anfield.

His agent, Walter Tamer, was quoted on Wednesday as saying the Argentine midfielder was tired of life in England, and favoured a move to Barcelona.

However, Benitez said: "In the press these days there are too many websites, too many newspapers, radio, television. You have to have stories every day so sometimes you repeat something from 15 days ago.

"It's much the same situation, he knows our ideas. He's been working very hard and he's a very important player for us."

Real Madrid have also been linked with Alvaro Arbeloa as well as Alonso and the club's sport director Miguel Pardeza said: "With Arbeloa there was an option which, at the moment, has come to nothing.

"Liverpool haven't had much intention of letting him go, even though he has one year left on his contract, and we are still in this situation.

"There is more than a month of the transfer market left and this could change. I'm not going to deny that we'd like to have Arbeloa."

On Alonso's future, Pardeza said: "From day one, Liverpool have asked for more than Madrid are ready to pay and it's very difficult to understand. But I've not lost hope that things can be resolved."

Maradona ready to come to Portsmouth

Diego Maradona's lawyer has sensationally claimed the Argentina boss is ready to quit his job with the national side to join Portsmouth as a "global ambassador".

Pompey's new owner Sulaiman Al Fahim, who this week completed his £60million takeover, wants the Argentine to help attract world superstars to the South Coast.

Al Fahim recently announced plans to open a Maradona Sports Cafe in the UAE and is also a close friend of Maradona's cousin Remigio, with both men working for the UN as goodwill ambassadors.

Maradona's lawyer Angel Oscar Moyano claims his client has players lined up to join Al Fahim's Fratton Park revolution and that he is ready to quit the Argentina post he only accepted last October.

"He has got top players ready and he is even ready to leave the Argentine national team," Moyano told Arabian Business.

"He wants to build a strong team for which he offers his mediation for signing players of top level, who with the support of Diego Maradona, will be ready to come to Portsmouth."

Al Fahim is a fan of the 48-year-old, stating his presence alone would go a long way to helping transform Portsmouth.

"I do not know if Maradona is a good coach," he conceded. "What I think is that he should be president of a club and have the right to buy and choose players.

"At Napoli he started from scratch and built a club. He has the power to transform football teams."

Emmanuel Adebayor joined Manchester City

Manchester City have completed the signing of Emmanuel Adebayor on a five-year deal.

The 25-year-old Togo international has joined the Blues from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee after passing his medical at Eastlands on Saturday evening.

The striker becomes the latest big-money addition to Mark Hughes' squad this summer following the captures of Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz.

Several hundred City fans were at the stadium on Saturday evening to welcome Adebayor, who hopes to help the ambitious club move forward.

"It made me feel really welcome and special and I can't wait to play for City's fans and show them what I can do," said Adebayor, who, as at Arsenal, will wear the number 25 shirt.

"I was born to play football and that is what I want to do. I have come here to make history for this club and those supporters.

"It is what the chairman and the manager told me that they want too and I can't wait to get started."

Hughes, meanwhile, has hailed the capture of the striker, who was signed by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger for £3million from Monaco in 2006.

"Emmanuel has been one of the top forwards in the Premier League since he arrived from France and we are delighted he has agreed to come and join us," the Welshman told the club's official website.

"Along with the other signings we have made in the last two windows he will greatly enhance our ability to compete with the top sides.

"His arrival is another clear indication that we are determined to augment the players we have here with the best of international talent.

"He adds vital balance and power to our attack. He has everything a top forward needs. He is versatile, powerful, quick and agile on the ball.

"I am looking forward to working with him as are the rest of the staff. He will definitely add a new dimension to our play. I have been a great admirer for a long time."

Adebayor's first task will be to fly out to join his new team-mates in South Africa, where their pre-season tour began with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Orlando Pirates earlier on Saturday.

No Bid From Real Madrid- Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claims the club have received just one bid for Franck Ribery - and it did not come from Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants are leading the race for the France winger, who has denied reports he wanted to quit Bayern to join the Florentino Perez revolution at the Bernabeu.

According to reports in Germany, Madrid have tabled a 64million euro offer for Ribery, with Bayern holding out for 80m, but Rummenigge revealed that is not the case.

"Up till now one club has made an offer to FC Bayern. And that club is not called Real Madrid. We kindly rejected the offer," he said to Sport Bild Online.

Premier League pair Chelsea and Manchester United were also believed to be interested in Ribery.

Rummenigge added: "We are not gambling, not aiming to force up the price. We want to keep hold of the player.

"Real have invited us to talks several times. We haven't opened this door once even slightly. If that does not please him or his agent, I can't change that. The Bayern shirt is dearer to us."

Real Madrid Unveiled Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo fulfilled a "childhood dream" as he was unveiled as a Real Madrid player in front of a packed Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

The Portuguese forward, who has been handed the number nine jersey, was greeted by Alfredo di Stefano - considered the greatest player to have worn that particular shirt - Eusebio and Florentino Perez, the club president whose re-election prompted Ronaldo's £80million signing from Manchester United.

"I am just so happy to be here," he said to a rapturous reception from the gathered thousands.

"For me, I have made my childhood dream a reality, which was nothing less than playing for Real Madrid.

"I didn't expect a jam-packed stadium - this is truly impressive."

Perez claimed Monday night's events "might not have a precedent". "We are very satisfied to know that you made the firm decision to play for Real Madrid," Perez said.

He told Ronaldo what to expect from his new adoring fans, adding: "They will ask of you the very best, but will also give you their all."

Ronaldo is the third player to be unveiled by Madrid since Perez returned to the presidency at the start of June, following in the footsteps of Kaka and Raul Albiol.

Brazil playmaker Kaka was a reported £56million signing from AC Milan, while Spain centre-back Albiol was brought in from Valencia for a fee believed to be around £13million.

Madrid have also agreed a deal with Lyon for their striker Karim Benzema for an initial fee of £30million, a transfer that takes the Spanish giants' summer spending close to the £200million mark.

Monday night's attendance at the Bernabeu swamped the estimated 55,000 that watched Kaka's unveiling here last Tuesday, and is believed to be the biggest turn-out for a presentation since a reported 75,000 saw the arrival of Diego Maradona at Napoli from Barcelona in 1984.

Earlier on Monday, Ronaldo, the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, successfully completed his medical with Madrid after landing in the Spanish capital just after midday.

Carlos Diez, Real Madrid's medical chief, told realmadrid.com: "(Ronaldo) is in perfect condition and very eager to start the season as soon as possible."

Ronaldo had already undergone initial medical tests with the Spanish giants while on holiday in Portugal last month, which the player claimed at the time had gone "perfectly".

Diez added: "He has an extraordinary cardiac and lung capacity. We have complemented everything that we already did in Portugal and done all the specific tests.

"Now we will be able to start working using an individual plan in order to improve his performance.

"For him (Ronaldo), it's a dream, and this dream starts to convert into reality from today."

Speaking at a press conference after his presentation, Ronaldo insisted that Real were "the closest club to my heart" - but admitted it was a wrench to leave England.

"Thank you to all (United) supporters, the boss (Sir Alex Ferguson), friends and team-mates - I've been there six years and have friends there. But people respect my decision," he said.

"The great challenge now, and dream, is to play at Real Madrid but I'm going to miss many things in Manchester."

The forward claimed he left Old Trafford, and Ferguson, on friendly terms.

"It was good," he said of his departure. "My relationship with him was always good and will stay that way forever.

"I went to Manchester, spoke to them and everything was fine. Life goes on."

Ronaldo also reiterated his belief that he was worth the vast sum paid for his services.

"I have always thought that the best clubs, to have the best players, have to pay - so Real Madrid did a good thing. It was a correct decision.

"I understand...it is not your everyday thing to manage these figures, but I'm happy to be the most expensive player in the history of football and I'm going to prove that they paid good money for me and it was worth it."

Real Madrid Still Chase Alonso

Jorge Valdano admits Real Madrid are some distance away from Liverpool's valuation of Xabi Alonso.

Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for the Spain midfielder as part of their summer rebuilding under new president Florentino Perez, which has already seen the Primera Division outfit splash out almost £200million on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol.

However, while Valdano admits Alonso remains one of their targets, the Madrid director general wants the price to be right.

"Xabi Alonso is a priority if he fits into our budget, and this doesn't seem the case. We are very far from the figures that Liverpool have set out," Valdano was quoted as telling Spanish radio station Onda Madrid.

Valdano added on Cadena Ser: "Liverpool have taken up a difficult stance over Xabi Alonso. I don't like to talk about the private details of negotiations.

"We are studying many alternatives. We want someone who can channel the play and there aren't many like that in the world."

With plenty of time before the transfer window closes and with a number of big-name signings already wrapped up, Valdano insists the Spanish giants have no great urgency to complete their summer shopping spree, though.

"After the great players who have arrived, we aren't in a hurry," he said.

"(We want) two signings, maximum three. That's the number with which the team will be able to cover all eventualities.

"With the arrival of Benzema, we are not going to sign (Valencia striker David) Villa. We are happy to have got the Frenchman. He is 21, powerful, and is enthusiastic and eager."