Going home! Liverpool set to snap up Lambert
Liverpool have agreed a deal with Southampton to sign England forward Rickie Lambert.
The 32-year-old striker, who is in Roy Hodgson's 23-man World Cup squad, will undergo a medical at Liverpool on Saturday after England's World Cup warm-up match against Peru.
The initial £4 million ($8.4m) move, if successful, will represent a homecoming for Kirkby-born Lambert, who was a member of the Reds' youth team for five years before being released by the club at the age of 15.
Since leaving Liverpool, Lambert has made 620 appearance for six different clubs, scoring 233 goals.
During his time at Southampton, he made 235 appearances and scored 117 times for the Saints.
He helped them achieve back-to-back promotions to restore their English Premier League status in 2012 after a seven-year exile from the top-flight.
13 goals
Last season, Lambert scored 13 league goals for Southampton as they survived comfortably in their second season since their return to the EPL.
They finished eighth this season.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers had claimed earlier this year that Lambert is a far better footballer than he is given credit for.
Rodgers told The Guardian: “He’s probably never got the recognition for what a really good footballer he is. He is probably seen as a traditional big number nine, a typical British striker, but he’s one of the most accomplished footballers I’ve seen.
"Look at his touch and the different types of goals he scores; he is a terrific player."
Sources: Sky Sports, BBC
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