LONDON: Midfielder Xabi Alonso of Spain has completed his transfer to big-spending Real Madrid from Liverpool today.

Alonso passed his routine medical examination to become Real Madrid’s eighth signing in a 254 million euro ($365 million) spending spree since Florentino Perez returned to the club presidency in June.

Liverpool will receive a reported fee of 30 million euro ($43 million) for the 27-year-old Spain international.Liverpool reached an agreement on Tuesday to sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid. “His arrival at Real Madrid will reinforce the midfield making him one of the axes on which (Madrid coach Manuel) Pellegrini’s squad will rotate,” Real said on Tuesday.

The move would take Real’s recent spending to more than $360 million, with the club having already brought in the likes of Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, Brazil playmaker Kaka from AC Milan and France striker Karim Benzema from Lyon.

The spree since Florentino Perez regained the Spanish club’s presidency in June is designed to take Real back to the top of the game after their bitter rival Barcelona won the Spanish league and cup double, along with the Champions League, last season.

Alonso, who joined the Reds in 2004 from Real Sociedad and helped the English club win the Champions League in 2005, has been a regular under Liverpool’s Spanish manager Rafa Benitez. At international level, he also helped Spain become European champion in 2008.