JUVENTUS are ready to test Rafa Benitez's resolve with a renewed bid to sign Xabi Alonso. (The Sun)The Italian giants were close to landing him last summer, before eventually opting for Danish international Christian Poulsen from Seville instead.

JUVENTUS are ready to test Rafa Benitez's resolve with a renewed bid to sign Xabi Alonso. (The Sun)

The Italian giants were close to landing him last summer, before eventually opting for Danish international Christian Poulsen from Seville instead.

But Benitez's admission that he will have to offload some of his Liverpool stars to bring in his big names targets has alerted them once again.

And Italian super-agent Ernesto Bronzetti, who advises on all of Milan and Juve's transfers, last night confirmed that Alonso is back on the hit list.

Bronzetti revealed: “I will try and bring in Alonso for the Juventus central midfield. There was a long chase last summer for his signature, of course, so it is a road we know.

“Pairing him with Momo Sissoko would be a title-winning midfield. The problem is that it would be very hard and expensive to take such an important player away from Liverpool.”

A year ago Benitez was ready to use Alonso's sale to help fund his bid for Aston Villa's Gareth Barry, before that move was eventually blocked.

He retains a strong interest in the Villa skipper, but with Valencia duo David Silva and Raul Albiol also on his wish list, there will be some high profile departures from Anfield.

Ironically Alonso has been one of the Reds' best performers this season, and Benitez is unwilling to let him go.

Yet the Kop boss has admitted: “Clearly he's a good player, if he wasn't we wouldn't have signed him. But if they were asking for him at the right price - in football everybody has a price.”

A source close to Alonso said: “He's happy in Liverpool, at the moment, but you never know what will happen in football.”