Liverpool have prepared for the anticipated loss of Javier Mascherano by signing Christian Poulsen for an initial £4.5m from Juventus.
The Denmark international was today unveiled as the club's fifth signing of the summer having agreed a three-year contract and passed a medical on Merseyside. The price of the 30-year-old will rise by a further £1m depending on achievements, and the deal reunites the central midfielder with his former manager at FC Copenhagen, Roy Hodgson.
The Italian club said: "Juventus announces that an agreement has been finalised with Liverpool for the disposal of the registration rights of the player Christian Poulsen for a consideration of €5.475m to be paid in two instalments: €2.725m immediately upon the execution of the contract and €2.75m on 1 July 2011.
"Deferred payment is covered by a bank guarantee. This operation generates a non-significant capital gain in the 2010-11 financial year. The consideration for the disposal may increase by a further maximum of €1.2m on achieving given sports performances in the course of the duration of the contract."
Hodgson turned to Poulsen, who joins Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic, Jonjo Shelvey and Danny Wilson as Liverpool's additions this summer, once it was clear that Mascherano is desperate to leave before the close of the transfer window.
The Argentina captain has been the subject of talks between officials of Internazionale and Liverpool, although there has been no bid as yet from the European champions, who are awaiting developments on Mario Balotelli's proposed transfer to Manchester City. Barcelona, who courted Mascherano last summer, have also been linked, albeit by an agent based in Catalonia, and the midfielder has confirmed his intention is to move away from England.
Speaking after Argentina's 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin last night, Mascherano said: "The only thing I want to say is I don't have anything against the Liverpool supporters, the Liverpool people. My problem is not to play for Liverpool. I'm very proud to play for Liverpool. It's another thing.
"I said to him [Hodgson] that maybe for my life I prefer to change the country, not the club. That is the fact. Sometimes you can see all the things that the papers or the press say, but at the end the only thing I can say is thank you to everyone in Liverpool because they supported me all the time, from the beginning until now."
Liverpool remain interested in Brad Jones, the Middlesbrough goalkeeper, whose arrival may allow for the sale of the second choice at Anfield, Diego Cavalieri, but the Riverside club have denied a £2m deal has been agreed.