Adam signing the latest stage in Dalglish's rebuilding at Liverpool

Scot set to complete £7m move from Blackpool with Anfield youngsters likely to head in opposite direction

(GETTY IMAGES)

Liverpool are close to their second signing of the summer after lining up a £7m deal for Charlie Adam. The Blackpool midfielder was on Merseyside yesterday after Liverpool agreed a fee to bring the 25-year-old Scottish midfielder to Anfield.

Adam was finalising the details of his move in Liverpool last night, after the news of an agreement between the clubs was announced yesterday afternoon. The fee is thought to be in the region of £7m with the possibility of Liverpool youngsters moving in the opposite direction. Jonjo Shelvey, Danny Wilson and Stephen Darby are all possible makeweights.

This move succeeds where, five months ago, Liverpool failed. In January there was a £4.5m bid for Adam, a valuation that Blackpool manager Ian Holloway described as "complete rubbish". "I thought: 'Fantastic, what a great club for him to go to,'" Holloway said at the time. "Then when I heard the bid I thought it was disgraceful. I don't think it was [Liverpool manager] Kenny [Dalglish] that put that offer in. Mr [Damien] Comolli should look at what is going on and get realistic."

Adam submitted a transfer request in January but stayed for the rest of the season. Despite some lauded midfield displays he could not save Blackpool from relegation in their first Premier League season, although he is now set to remain in the top flight.

The Scotland international is the second British midfielder to join Liverpool this summer, one month after Jordan Henderson was signed from Sunderland for around £16m. Dalglish and director of football Comolli are reinforcing the midfield this summer, having signed two forwards in January.

In the same category as Adam and Henderson is Stewart Downing, the 26-year-old English winger at Aston Villa, for whom Liverpool had a £15m bid rejected on Tuesday. Liverpool had previously been interested in Ashley Young and Phil Jones, now both at Manchester United, and Connor Wickham, who joined Sunderland last week.

As well as Adam, Liverpool secured the long-term future of Glen Johnson yesterday, the right-back signing a contract extension. "We are absolutely delighted," said Comolli. "We were in talks for a few weeks, but it was easy to find an agreement because he wanted to stay and we wanted him to stay."

Comolli was enthusiastic about the future of the England right-back, who joined from Portsmouth in 2009. "His best years are to come," he said. "Very often defenders peak between 26 and 31, so he is just entering into those years where a maturity comes in and his knowledge of the game gets better and better. We are happy his long-term future is at Liverpool.

"It's obvious when you watch him play his technical ability is second to none. Physically he is absolutely fantastic as well and his fitness level is great. Towards the end of last season he showed how versatile he is by playing at left-back or right-back – mostly at left-back – and was outstanding."