Allen deal imminent

Having been linked with the Reds for the whole summer, it finally looks as though the Joe Allen saga could be set to come to a conclusion. Speaking after Liverpool’s emphatic Europa League win over FC Gomel, Brendan Rodgers claimed that the deal is on the verge of being complete and hopes to announce something on Friday.

Rodgers has been chasing the Swansea midfielder for the whole summer, even though he had an agreement in place which prevented him from raiding his former club for players. However, having reportedly met a £15m release figure that is detailed in the player’s contract, Rodgers was automatically granted permission to speak to the Welsh international. Moreover, with the 22-year-old supposedly desperate to join his former boss at Anfield, there appeared little that Swansea could do to keep the player at the Liberty Stadium.

While Rodgers didn’t give much away in his interview following the Reds’ game, he did tell the press the following, “I hope to conclude the deal in the next 24 hours. It is imminent.”

It is understood that Allen was invited to the directors’ box to watch the game and he will have certainly been pleased at what his prospective teammates provided. Despite struggling to a lame 1-0 victory in the first leg, the Reds looked a completely different outfit this time around and comfortably beat the Belarusian side 3-0.

Allen will have also been impressed with one of his former teammates, after Fabio Borini managed to score his first competitive goal for the club following his summer switch from Roma. Borini, along with Allen, was part of the Swansea side that gained promotion to the top flight a couple of seasons ago and bearing this in mind, it is incredible to see that both players are set to play together for one of the most prestigious clubs in the world.