New Liverpool signing: Robbie Keane deal done

[Mighty T.A.L.]

According to Liverpool Daily Post there is an agreement between Spurs and Liverpool where Robbie Keane will leave White Hart Lane for Anfield.

[NJ10]

It looks very much on the cards. I believe Keane was a Liverpool fan as a child and as soon as he has heard of our interest this time he has been seeking a move.

Think he is probably a bit overpriced, but he is a good player. Will need no time to settle and I think he always plays for the team. He & Torres will be an interesting partnership, and I think Gerrard will be happy having a clever player like Keane around rather than someone like Voronin or Crouch who are more specific targets.

[LAF]

I'm scratching my head abit woth this move. No doubt Keane is a good player but I assumed Rafa would player the 4-2-3-1 that worked well at the end of last season.

I have a feealing it'll be 4-4-2 again with Gerrard out wide. Maybe not ideal but Torres and Keane should be interesting.

[Sven]

very dangerous buy imo, great addition.

[LAF]

Originally Posted by LAF

I'm scratching my head abit woth this move. No doubt Keane is a good player but I assumed Rafa would player the 4-2-3-1 that worked well at the end of last season.

I have a feealing it'll be 4-4-2 again with Gerrard out wide. Maybe not ideal but Torres and Keane should be interesting.

Fucking hell, I need to get my typing sorted out.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Keane will take Gerrard's role from last season. Gerrard will be pushed back in centre mid playing along with Mascherano. Sometimes he will play wide so Alonso could play. Rafa seems to continue with 4-4-1-1 formation or 4-2-3-1. Depends on how you look on it.

[hk_on99]

Not sure if Ramos is going to let Keane leave if he's already losing Berbatov.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

He will. Just wait and see. Keane will become a Liverpool player very soon.

[Evertonscouser]

BBC

Liverpool are expected to complete the £18m signing of striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham within 24 hours.

He underwent a medical on Monday and may be able to fly to Spain with the Liverpool squad ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Villarreal.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez completed the final stages of his negotiations with the 28-year-old over the weekend.

The Republic of Ireland star is expected to sign a five-year deal worth about £80,000 per week.

As a child growing up in Dublin, Keane was an avid supporter of the men from Anfield - and Liverpool will now become his sixth club after spells at Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan and Leeds, before his switch to Tottenham in 2002 for £7m.

Keane had become Benitez's number one summer target over recent weeks, with the need to replace Peter Crouch, who joined Portsmouth earlier this month, seemingly more important than pursuing the complicated and protracted move for Aston Villa's 27-year-old midfielder Gareth Barry.

With the prospect of Xabi Alonso now remaining at Anfield, Liverpool may now decline to respond to Villa manager Martin O'Neill's demand that they make their intentions regarding Barry clear.

Liverpool's response is that Villa have turned down four bids for Barry and the Merseysiders are not prepared to pay £18m for the England international.


Benitez will now be unwilling to allow full-back Steve Finnan, a possible makeweight in a deal for Barry, to leave the club.

That is because new signing Philipp Degen is expected to need surgery on a groin injury that will rule him out of the start of the season.

There is also the likelihood that Spain international Alvaro Arbeloa could return to his home country for £6m in the coming weeks, having expressed such a desire for personal reasons.

All such problems will be put aside by Benitez when he is able to unveil Keane - who married Irish model Claudine Palmer in June - as the new strike partner for Fernando Torres.

Torres cost Liverpool £20.2m when they bought him 12 months ago, and their current second biggest signing is Javier Mascherano, who cost £17m when the deal finally went through in February this year.

The arrival of Keane will take Liverpool's spending to about £32m since the end of last season. They have already drafted in Degen, fellow full-back Andrea Dossena, goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri and teenagers David Ngog and Emmanuel Mendy.

About £20m has been raised by selling Crouch, John Arne Riise, Scott Carson and Danny Guthrie

Expect him to be a Liverpool player by tonight or tomorrow aslong as the medical goes through ok.

[NJ10]

He is at Melwood now, and could be in our travelling party for the trip to Villarreal.

Spose when you consider we got £11m for Crouch, Keane is only costing £7m up front, which is a decent price. He and Torres will be a very dangerous duo, full of goals.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

He has influence on the games, passion and ambitions. He's a winner just what Liverpool need. I have big expectations on him and he should suit the Liverpool system just perfect.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

He has passed the medical test and agreed personal terms.

[Dellas]

Now the Scousers attack is gd but I still feel that your defence is the weakest of the big four. Keane is a great player and its a shame he went to Liverpool ...he is a proven goalscorer and so should definitely have a gd season at Liverpool seeing as he doesn't need to adapt to the EPL.

[Evertonscouser]

Do you think that the money which was intended for Barry is being used in part here?....

I think Torres and Keane can make a great partnership, but I think they would have to play Keane as an out and out striker, not as a 2nd striker. They would need to change their tactic, most probably to 442. The would pull Gerrard back to partner Mascherano, with no room for an £16million bench player in Barry.

[NJ10]

Yeah i cant see us getting Barry now. Which isnt a terrible thing in all honesty even though he is a good player. Just need to get a rise out of Alonso, and for Lucas to step up his game a bit more next season.

---------Gerrard----Masch------------------

Kuyt----------Keane------------Babel

---------------Torres----------------

still need better wide players, esp on the right. but this is a good signing.