Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for Southampton and England
striker Rickie Lambert for a fee of around £4m plus add-ons.
The Reds are hopeful Lambert will be able to complete a
medical on Saturday before flying out to Miami with the England squad
on Sunday.
The Liverpool-born forward is intent on leaving St Mary's this summer.
Southampton rejected a similar bid from West Ham in January but are set to cash in on the 32-year-old.
Rickie Lambert factfile
- Blackpool 3 games 0 goals (1998-2000)
- Macclesfield 49 games 10 goals (2001-2002)
- Stockport 110 games 19 goals (2002-2005)
- Rochdale 68 games 28 goals (2005-2006)
- Bristol Rovers 155 games 59 goals (2006-2009)
- Southampton 235 games 117 goals (2009-present)
They have turned down Liverpool's initial offer for Lambert, but talks are continuing.
If Saints, without a manager following Mauricio
Pochettino's move to Tottenham, receive a bid they deem acceptable, they
will not stand in his way.
There has been interest in Lambert from other clubs, but it is understood he is currently only considering Liverpool.
He spent five years as a youth player at Anfield before being released as a 15-year-old and he still supports the Reds.
He scored 14 goals in 39 games this season and has 117 in 235 appearances since
joining Southampton
from Bristol Rovers in 2009.
Liverpool remain in talks with Southampton over deals for both England midfielder
Adam Lallana,
26, and Croatia defender Dejan Lovren, 24.
They have also made an enquiry for Sevilla full-back
Alberto Moreno, 21, and said they are willing to pay as much as £16m for
the player.
Saints have already turned down one offer for Lallana
and have also rejected Manchester United's bid for left-back Luke Shaw.
The south coast club are under no financial pressure to
sell and are determined not to be pressurised into sanctioning deals by
suitors keen to make signings before the World Cup.
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