Soccer:Liverpool have signed Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen from Juventus in a deal worth around €5.4million. The Reds made the 30-year-old international star their latest summer capture when he signed a three-year deal with the Anfield club.
Poulsen fits Liverpool's need for a defensive midfielder with Javier Mascherano itching for a move away from the Premier League.
Poulsen, capped 77 times by Denmark, knows Hodgson well having first joined his FC Copenhagen side in 2000.
His arrival will be seen a precursor to the departure of combative midfielder Mascherano.
Argentina's captain asked Hodgson for a transfer on the day he returned to pre season training after an extended break following the World Cup.
Mascherano is keen to be reunited with former Reds boss Rafael Benitez at Inter Milan, although the Serie A club appear unwilling to meet Liverpool's €30million valuation.
Barcelona, who tried to sign Mascherano 12 months ago, are also believed to be interested in the 26-year-old having failed in their bid to sign Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.
Mascherano insists he has no problem with Liverpool but just fancies a change of lifestyle.
Speaking after Argentina's 1-0 win over Republic of Ireland, he said: "The only thing I want to say is I don't have nothing 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 (new Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson) that maybe for my life I prefer to change the country, not to change 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."
