Dream comes true for Meireles after sealing Liverpool move

LIVERPOOL have signed Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles on a four-year deal from Porto.

The Reds have paid €14 million for the 27-year-old who has 38 caps. The Portuguese is a combative player and is seen as a natural replacement for Javier Mascherano, who is poised to complete a move to Barcelona.

“Liverpool are a historic club and I am happy for the move. Roy Hodgson was key because he worked so hard to get me,” Meireles said last night.

Meireles has joined Milan Jovanovic, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Jonjo Shelvey and Danny Wilson in moving to Anfield this summer.

Reds boss Hodgson has swooped for Meireles after the Anfield club agreed a fee, believed to £17.25m, with Barca for Argentina captain Mascherano.

Hodgson’s midfield options have been further depleted by the departure of Italian Alberto Aquilani to Juventus on a year-long loan deal.

Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Keiren Westwood could leave the Sky Blues before the transfer window closes tomorrow.

Boss Aidy Boothroyd has told the 25-year-old to sign a new contract or “look elsewhere”. The Coventry City manager warned the five-time capped Ireland stopper he could leave himself in a dangerous position if he decides to run the remaining 10 months of his contract out and gets a bad injury.

Boothroyd, is trying to sign Everton goalkeeper Iain Turner on a long-term loan and if he succeeds, Westwood’s place in the starting line-up cannot be guaranteed.

“Keiren is a player that we really want to keep,” said the Sky Blues boss. “But he hasn’t signed a contract yet. We think he should, his representatives think he should but at the moment he doesn’t, so we’ve got to find a way to make Coventry City more appealing.

“There have been no other offers, which is surprising because I think he’s the best keeper in the Championship.

“I think Keiren’s best place right now is here because this club is going forward; we want to be a Premiership club and I want Keiren Westwood to be part of that.

“But either he signs and we get on with it, or he doesn’t and we start to look elsewhere. I’ve got to think about the state of mind of the player and whether it’s a distraction for the squad going forward and doing a lot better than we have done in recent years.”

Boothroyd warned Westwood of the dangers of running his contract down. He said: “I’d hate it if a player who I have such a high regard for as a person and a professional would pick up a long-term injury and be left with nothing at the end of the season.

“I’ve got to mange it and decide what we’re going to do. I’ve got to listen to the player, see where he’s at and try to persuade him that this is the place he wants to be.”

Celtic, who made a bid for Westwood in July, are still believed to be keen on the former Man City trainee even though they signed Fraser Forster on loan from Newcastle. Everton and Spurs have kept tags on Westwood.