It always seemed like a matter of when not if and today is the day Liverpool can finally announce Adam Lallana as Reds boss Brendan Rodgers second official summer signing following a successful medical at Melwood over the weekend.
The Anfield outfit had hoped to complete the capture of the 26-year old before the start of the World Cup and wasted no time in submitting a £20mil bid at the end of the season. With the offer met with a muted response from Southampton, an additional £5mil was tacked on to the fee as Rodgers attempted to speed the process along, but the South Coast club had put a transfer freeze in place following team-mate Rickie Lambert’s move to Merseyside.
Following the appointment of former Feynoord manager Ronald Koeman to the St. Mary’s hotseat, again, it was just a matter of time before Lallana jumped ship. With the transfer embargo lifted and England making an early exit from the World Cup, the former Saint’s captain completed a medical over the weekend ahead of signing a long term contract, and though Rodgers refused to confirm his signing as early as yesterday, he could hardly contain his excitement as it was made official earlier today.
“We are delighted to have secured the services of one of the Premier League’s top talents in signing Adam Lallana,” the boss told the official website at Melwood earlier today. “He is an exceptional young man and someone who has a love for the game – and, most importantly, a desire to progress and improve.” The Reds, who have secured Champions League football for the first time since 2009, have identified a number of targets to bolster a squad in need of upgrades in order to take on the increased workload. Although the capture of the former Saint’s captain represents a significant step forward, there’ll surely be more to come…
Welcome to the club, Adam.
