Alberto Aquilani to join Liverpool as Xabi Alonso seals Real Madrid move

Alberto Aquilani will be a Liverpool player as soon as Xabi Alonso's move to Real Madrid is finalised.

Intense talks have been taking place during the past 48 hours over both deals, and the Mirror understands an £18million agreement has been reached for Roma's Italy midfielder.

Read our profile of the Italian maestro here

Aquilani, 25, is recovering from ankle surgery, but negotiations took place in Rome yesterday.

Italian sources suggest cash-strapped Roma have been waiting for a few weeks for a signal from Liverpool to complete formalities, but that was delayed when talks over Alonso dragged on.

Despite encouraging noises coming from the Spanish capital, there is still a gap between the clubs over how much Alonso is worth. Anfield managing director Christian Purslow met Madrid director Jose Angel Sanchez in Barcelona, where Liverpool were playing a friendly, and had discussions for almost two hours.

Liverpool want £30m, plus £5m more in add-ons, while Madrid have offered £25m.

Purslow said: "There's been no agreement. The meeting has only served to put our positions on the table. We need to continue talking, though talks have been very friendly."