Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle with out-of-contract Manchester City midfielder James Milner.
The 29-year-old has agreed personal terms with the Reds and will join the club after his existing contract at the Etihad Stadium expires on July 1, subject to a medical.
Milner, who twice won the Barclays' Premier League during his five-year City stay, will arrive on Merseyside after the promise of guaranteed first-team football after growing tired of regularly being benched under Manuel Pelligrini.
For that reason, he rejected a lucrative extension at City worth £165,000-a-week, in favour of a move to Anfield where he is understood to have been convinced that he can play regularly in his preferred central-midfield role.
Securing the deal will be a boost to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who was underfire for a string of poor results towards the end of the campaign - but earlier this week was told he will keep his job after "progressive" end-of-season talks with the club's owners.
Milner joined City from Aston Villa, having played for Newcastle United and Leeds United before that. He made 125 appearances for City scoring 18 goals, whilst the midfielder has also made 53 international caps for England.
In 2014-15, Milner scored seven goals in 24 league appearances and his loss will come as a huge blow to City - who are desperate to add more homegrown players to their squad.
Back in March, City boss Pellegrini said: "It would be very difficult to find a more complete player than [James] Milner. There are players who are better technically. There are quicker players.
"There are players who head the ball better. But show me a player who does all the things that Milner does well and there isn’t one.
"And whatever position I put him in he plays well: at full back – which is the only place he doesn’t like playing– attacking midfield, wide, or as a striker. I used him this season as a forward and the team was scoring three goals a game.
"You leave him on the bench and he is furious, but watch him during the game, encouraging and shouting. And in the next training session he kills it for 95 minutes.
"It’s very difficult to find another Milner – an intelligent player, with big balls and a massive heart."
