LIVERPOOL // Charlie Adam, the Blackpool midfielder is set to complete his long-awaited move to Liverpool later today.
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The 25-year-old underwent a medical at the club's Melwood training ground yesterday 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.
Adam will be Kenny Dalglish's second summer recruit, having already signed Sunderland's England Under-21 international Jordan Henderson to bolster an already-crowded midfield.
It will mean the likes of the Portuguese Raul Meireles, who The National revealed last month was ready to depart the club, look more certain to leave should an improved bid come in for the PFA Fans' Player of the Year.
Dalglish will also reassess his other 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 vulnerable to be shown the exit door.
The Serbian forward Milan Jovanovic could also on his way out after a disappointing debut season, with Liverpool also showing interest in Aston Villa's Stewart Downing haveing already had a £15 million (Dh88.1m) bid was turned down.
Adam's personal terms were not likely to be a stumbling block, with the Scot having expressed his desire to move to Anfield following Blackpool's relegation from the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the defender Emiliano Insua has expressed his desire to reignite his Liverpool career.
The Argentine 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.
In the absence of Insua and the woeful six-month Liverpool career of Paul Konchesky, loaned out to the Championship side Nottingham Forest in January, Glen Johnson ended up playing on the left of defence.
That was partly due firstly to the form of Martin Kelly and then, when necessity arose, the promotion of John Flanagan.
The 26-year-old has now signed an extension to his existing contract to the delight of director of football Damien Comolli.
"We are very pleased he wants to commit long term and I think he was pleased we went to him and asked him to commit long term," said Comolli.
"His best years are to come. Very often defenders peak between 26 and 31, so he is just entering into those years where a maturity comes in and his knowledge of the game gets better and better," he added.
