Midfielder Charlie Adam is set to complete his long-awaited move from Blackpool to Liverpool on Thursday.
The 25-year-old underwent a medical at the club's Melwood training ground on Wednesday evening after the Reds' improved offer - which is likely to involve at least one fringe player moving on loan to Bloomfield Road - was accepted by the Seasiders.
Personal terms were not likely to be a stumbling block, with Adam having expressed his desire to move to Anfield following Blackpool's relegation from the Barclays Premier League. And so six months after manager Kenny Dalglish first tried to sign the Scotland international Adam, will finally complete the move once the formalities on the deal have been finalised.
Adam will be Dalglish's second summer recruit, having already signed Sunderland's England Under-21 international Jordan Henderson to bolster an already-crowded midfield.
The Reds boss will now reassess his options within the squad with the likes of Alberto Aquilani, who spent last season on loan at Juventus only for the Serie A club to reject the option of signing him permanently, and Christian Poulsen, a fringe figure since Dalglish took charge in January, appear the most vulnerable in any squad cull with forward Milan Jovanovic also on his way out after a disappointing debut season.
One area which does need strengthening is down the left-hand side, in particular, with Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing now a primary target after a £15million bid was turned down.
And defender Emiliano Insua, who was one of those players farmed out on loan with unseemly haste by former boss Roy Hodgson last summer, has expressed his desire to reignite his Liverpool career.
The Argentina international returned to Melwood for pre-season training after spending last season at Galatasaray.
He was one of the players at risk of being offloaded permanently in the coming weeks but the 22-year-old is determined to prove his doubters wrong.
"In Liverpool again. I hope to be here this season and to give something to the team, I am with energy to do it," he wrote on Twitter.
Source: PA
