Liverpool poised to sign Raul Meireles

Liverpool are finalising the transfer of Raul Meireles from Porto as they move quickly to replace Javier Mascherano.

The Portugal international midfielder, 27, is expected to sign for the Anfield club this weekend as Roy Hodgson seeks to compensate for the loss of the Argentina international, who is joining Barcelona in a £22million deal.

It is understood that Meireles had been lined up by Barcelona, should they have failed to land Mascherano and sources at the Camp Nou revealed that Meireles would now be joining Liverpool instead. Liverpool will reinvest the majority of the Mascherano money in Meireles, with a deal that could rise to as much as £17m.

Meireles had been strongly linked with a move away from Porto and a departure appeared inevitable when he was omitted from their Europa League squad last week. Porto manager Andre Villas-Boas was resigned to losing the player and it was reported that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also wanted him to replace Owen Hargreaves.

The signing would represent a coup for Liverpool. Meireles was coveted across the continent after establishing himself as one of the most impressive central midfielders in European football.

He came close to joining Jose Mourinho at Internazionale last season after the Italian club agreed to exchange winger Ricardo Quaresma with Porto but the deal broke down after Quaresma refused to return to Portugal.

Both Chelsea and Barcelona had watched Meireles last season and the player was understood to want a move to an elite European club after six years of success with Porto.

Meireles emerged as one of his country's most promising players in the European Under 16 championships in Israel in 2000, starring alongside Quaresma as Portugal won the title. He joined Porto in 2004, after making his name with Boavista, and has won the Portuguese league title four times in his six seasons with the club.

The heavily tattooed midfielder was promoted to the Portugal team after the 2006 World Cup and has gone on to establish himself in Carlos Queiroz's side, winning 38 caps and scoring 6 goals.

He was part of the squad at Euro 2008 and started every one of Portugal's World Cup qualifying games. He scored the decisive goal in the play-off with Bosnia, effectively qualifying Portugal for South Africa, where he impressed, scoring in the 7-0 rout of North Korea.

Having sold Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid last summer and with his replacement, Alberto Aquilani, having moved to Juventus on a season-long loan, Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has been forced to remodel his midfield.

Christian Poulsen, the Danish holding midfielder, has already been signed from Sevilla and Meireles would be expected to play alongside him in a more dynamic role.

He has been used by Porto as a defensive midfielder but is encouraged to break from deep positions. That would mean Hodgson could play Steven Gerrard in his more favoured attacking role.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.