Liverpool are expected to complete the £18m signing of striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

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.

Ref From bbc.co.uk

Brazilian fullback Rafinha is once again being linked with a possible transfer to Premier League side Liverpool.

He has long been linked with a move to the Merseyside giants with Reds boss Rafa Benitez a confirmed admirer of the Schalke right back.

With Alvaro Arbeloa being linked with a move back to Spain following a mystery £6 million bid, money could well be available for the purchase of Rafinha.

The Brazilian is also in dispute with his club at the moment over the Olympics, and his future at the Bundesliga club is far for certain.

He was called up by coach Carlos Dunga for the summer’s Olympic tournament, but was told by Schalke he couldn’t go.  However, Rafinha has gone against the club’s wishes and travelled regardless.

Any parting of the ways at the Veltins Arena will surely awake the interest of Liverpool amongst others.

Ref From Mathew Burt - goal.com

Aston Villa supporters turned on unsettled Gareth Barry during the friendly victory at Walsall.

Barry was disciplined for criticising manager Martin O’Neill after the 27-year-old revealed he wanted to quit Villa and join Liverpool.

But the proposed move has stalled amid ill-feeling as Liverpool have failed to meet Villa’s £18m asking price.

Barry has returned to training but was a target for Villa fans as he played for an hour in their 3-2 victory.

Walsall took the lead through Alex Nicholls in the 42nd minute, but Shaun Maloney equalised with a 62nd-minute free-kick.

Trialist Patrick Suffo, the former Sheffield United striker, made it 2-1 to the home side with a low drive.

Maloney levelled again from close range with 10 minutes remaining before Wayne Routledge volleyed home the winner four minutes from time.

Ref From BBC SPORT