Liverpool sign Raul Meireles
Liverpool have signed Portuguese international midfielder Raul Meireles, according to reports.
The Reds have reacted swiftly to replace the Barcelona-bound Javier Mascherano with a £10.7million swoop for the highly-rated, heavily tattooed 27-year-old Porto central midfielder, who started every one of Portugal’s four matches at this summer’s World Cup, scoring his side’s opening goal in the 7-0 rout of North Korea.
The move would represent something of a coup for Reds boss Roy Hodgson, with Meireles available for a cheaper fee than a player of his quality would usually command, due to his contract running out in two years time. He had previously been linked with move a Manchester United.
Former Fulham boss Hodgson also appears close to reuniting with Paul Konchesky, with the 29-year-old due at Liverpool’s Melwood training base this weekend for a medical, after Liverpool and Fulham agreed a fee for the left back, a move speeded up by Fulham’s signing of the Mexican Carlos Salcido from PSV Eindhoven, effectively Konchesky’s replacement.
Hodgson is still angry at Mascherano though, after the midfielder refused to play in last week’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in a bid to force through a transfer to Barcelona, a decision that forced Hodgson into an ultimately unsuccessful change in his line-up and tactics.
“It's not easy to defend his actions,” said the Reds boss, “because professionals are paid to play and when called upon to do so, they should.
“I don't think players mean it as a challenge to your authority or the club's, but it's a selfish situation where they want to do something and then expect the club and me, in my position as one of the leaders of the club, to bow down and accept they are going to get their way.”
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