Michael Owen was today unveiled as Real Madrid's latest 'galactico' at a midday press conference.
The England striker passed a medical last night after Liverpool accepted an £8m-plus-player offer from the Spanish giants.
Owen had just one season remaining on his contract at Anfield but after talks over a new deal stalled, new manager Rafael Benitez revealed yesterday he would be leaving.
Benitez now hopes to use some of the Owen money to pursue his interest in Real Sociedad's Xabi Alonso. Barcelona's right-sided midfielder Luis Garcia has also been mentioned as a possible target.
Benitez said: "I would hope to use the money from Michael's deal to bring those players in quickly.
"But I must explain we were very, very happy with Michael. He trains well and is a fantastic player.
"For us we know he must go because his contract finishes in a year. But that was not the problem, we had waited one year and two months for a new contract. And we knew that Real Madrid knew that.
"It was impossible to control the situation. For us it was bad but at the end it was impossible."
Owen scored 118 goals in 216 appearances for the club.
Antonio Nunez, who moved to Anfield from Real as part of the deal, admits the prospect of playing for Liverpool is a "dream come true" for him.
The 25-year-old was only ever on the fringes of Real's star-studded team and is hoping he gets the chance to show what he is capable of.
He said: "I've always made a point of following the games in the English league because it is the sort of football that I like to play."
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