Liverpool have officially completed a deal to sign centre-back Steven Caulker on loan for the rest of the season from Queens Park Rangers.

The Reds faced a race to ensure the 24-year-old was signed in time to allow them to file the relevant paperwork for him to be able to play in their Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal on Wednesday night, but the deal was just about completed in time to make him eligible. 

London-born Caulker had been on loan at Southampton but made just three league appearances and Championship club QPR cancelled the deal to allow him to move to Anfield immediately, with Liverpoolfc.com citing that the player "showed a willingness to commit to the Reds at short notice."

Jürgen Klopp has turned to the Englishman in the midst of a crippling injury crisis in defence, with Kolo Touré the only fully fit centre-back for the game against the top-of-the-table Gunners - whilst Mamadou Sakho is battling to be in contention.

But Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel are both at least a few weeks as they both continue to recover from hamstring injuries, meaning Caulker is likely to walk straight into the matchday squad to ensure the Reds boss is not forced to field Lucas Leiva at centre-back again.

Caulker a vital extra body in injury-stricken Reds defence

Caulker in action for Southampton in their 6-1 League Cup defeat to Liverpool last month. (Picture: Getty Images)
Caulker in action for Southampton in their 6-1 League Cup defeat to Liverpool last month. (Picture: Getty Images)

In a packed fixture schedule, Caulker will provide vital back-up - with Klopp having been forced to field a makeshift centre-back pairing of Jose Enrique, who hadn't made a first-team appearance in over a year, and Tiago Ilori, making his debut two years after joining the club, in their 2-2 FA Cup third round draw with Exeter City on Friday.

With Liverpool facing seven games over the next 24 days - a match every 3.4 days on average - the 6ft 3in defender, who has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Cardiff City previously in the top-flight, could become a much-needed asset on Merseyside.

With the deal completed, it is expected that Caulker will travel up to the north west to train with his new teammates at Melwood prior to their crunch clash with Arsenal.

A one-cap England international, the defender made a total of eight appearances in all competitions earlier this season with the Saints, the last of which was against Liverpool in their 6-1 thrashing of the South Coast club in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals at St Mary's in early December. 

Caulker, an experienced player at Premier League level, worked under previous boss Brendan Rodgers whilst at Swansea, whilst he also knows the Reds' Academy chief Alex Inglethorpe after his time at Spurs.

He becomes the club's, and Klopp's, second signing of the current January transfer window, following the £5.1 million capture of young Serbian midfielder Marko Grujić - who has returned to Red Star Belgrade on loan for the remainder of the current campaign.

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.