Liverpool beat Arsenal for Real's Sahin

Liverpool reached agreement with Real Madrid on Saturday to take the Spanish outfit's playmaker Nuri Sahin to Anfield on a season-long loan.

Arsenal had also been tracking the Turkey international.

The 23-year-old, who becomes manager Brendan Rodgers' fourth new arrival following Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Oussama Assaidi, said that Real teammate and former Anfield favourite, Xabi Alonso played a key role in the deal.

"Xabi is a person who really cares about football. He's in love with football. I'm the same, and that's why we had a lot of conversations," Sahin told www.liverpoolfc.com.

"When I arrived at Real Madrid, we spoke about German football and Italian football. When he heard Liverpool were interested in me, he started telling me about Liverpool.

"He is still in love with Liverpool Football Club, I think. He was saying, 'Go there - you will love it. The fans will take care of you and love you' and things like that.

"He said Anfield is the best stadium in the world. Xabi won a lot of trophies here, and hopefully we can do that too."

The German-born Sahin began his career with Borussia Dortmund and then had a spell with Dutch side Feyenoord before joining Real last season.

 

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