Liverpool secure Charlie Adam signing

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish's pursuit of midfielder Charlie Adam finally paid off after a new bid was accepted by Blackpool.

The Reds boss twice tried to sign the Scotland international in January only to have an offer of £6.5million rejected as the Seasiders successfully held on to their prized asset.
It was hoped keeping Adam would help safeguard their Barclays Premier League future but when relegation came in May the 25-year-old, with only 12 months left on his contract, told the club Anfield was his preferred destination this summer.
After several weeks of negotiations both parties have settled on an acceptable valuation - Blackpool were reportedly holding out for £9million - and the player just has to pass his medical.
Having already expressed his preference for Liverpool personal terms are unlikely to be a stumbling block on the deal.
As part of the agreement Blackpool are likely to receive at least one fringe player from Anfield.
Adam will be Dalglish's second signing of the summer to strengthen an area of the squad - central midfield - which was already overcrowded following Jordan Henderson's £16million move from Sunderland.
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.
With captain Steven Gerrard set to return for the new season after a groin operation, Lucas Leiva and Jay Spearing both having signed long-term contracts in the last few months and last summer's arrival Raul Meireles impressing in spells there is ample competition in Liverpool's engine room.
Where Dalglish needs to strengthen now is down the left-hand side, in particular, with Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing now a primary target.
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.
In the absence of Insua and the woeful six-month Liverpool career of Paul Konchesky, loaned out to npower Championship club 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 England international put in better performances in that position in the last couple of months of the campaign than he had in his usual right-sided berth at the start of the season under Hodgson, when he looked like a player critically low on confidence.
Those displays and his adaptability were recognised by the management team and the 26-year-old has signed an extension to his existing contract.
"We are absolutely delighted. We were in talks for a few weeks but it was easy to find an agreement because he wanted to stay and we wanted him to stay," said 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."
The 26-year-old has made 70 appearances for the Reds but Comolli believes the defender has not yet reached his prime.
"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.
"It's obvious when you watch him play his technical ability is second to none.

"Towards the end of last season he showed how versatile he is by playing at left-back or right-back - mostly at left-back - and was outstanding.

"For us he is a great asset to have around. As we've always said, we don't want to sell our best players or sell our assets and as long as the players are happy to be here, we're happy to commit to them."