At the age of just 21, Real Sociedad midfielder Xabi Alonso has already become one of the hottest properties in Spanish football following an outstanding campaign for the championship runners-up.

The young midfielder played an instrumental role in Sociedad's remarkable transformation from relegation strugglers to title contenders this season and looks to have a brilliant career mapped out for him.

Alonso has orchestrated the Sociedad midfield with a vision and understanding that belie his years and helped to bring the best out of the side's lethal strike pairing of Nihat Kahveci and Darko Kovacevic.

His apparently unhurried comfort on the ball is accompanied by a fierce determination that has made him a favourite of the Anoeta faithful.

The midfielder also has many admirers beyond the elegant coastal resort of San Sebastian and his impressive form has earned him an international call-up and brought him to the attention of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United.

Real have even been rumoured to have secured an option on the player for the season after next, although with the recent addition of David Beckham it is hard to believe that even they will have space for yet another talented midfielder in their "galactic" line-up.

FOOTBALLING FAMILY

Born in the Basque town of Tolosa in Guipuzcoa, Alonso comes from a strong footballing family.

His father Periko was part of the famous Sociedad side that took back-to-back league titles in the early 1980s and he eventually went on to coach the club for a brief period two seasons ago.

Elder brother Mikel, who is also a midfielder, moved up from the reserves at the start of the season and made nine appearances for the first team.

Xabi made his league debut at the age of 19 in January 2001 against Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao when the team were coached by John Toshack and the Welshman was quick to recognise the young midfielder's pedigree.

"I don't remember a former youth team player causing such an impact at the club," said Toshack. "Everyone seems to play better when he is on the pitch and there is no doubt that he is going to be a very important player for Real Sociedad."

Alonso's assured control of the midfield was of vital importance in helping Sociedad to escape the threat of relegation in the past two seasons and this term, under the guidance of French coach Raynald Denoueix, he found a new dimension to his game.

He gave a masterful performance in Sociedad's 4-2 win over Real Madrid at Anoeta this season, eclipsing both Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo as the Basque side outclassed their opponents.

His performances earned him a call-up to the national side and he responded with an eye-catching debut in Spain's 4-0 victory over Ecuador in May.

Many observers pointed to his absence through illness in the Euro 2004 qualifiers against Greece and Northern Ireland as one of the main reasons for the team's poor performances.

Sociedad's only worry now is how long they will be able to fend off predatory bids for the young player.