LIVERPOOL have pulled off the transfer coup of the summer and agreed a deal to sign Joe Cole.

The England international had been a target for Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur but the Reds have managed to convince Cole that a move to Anfield would suit him best.

Cole, 28, must pass a medical in the next 48 hours for the deal to be completed but, as no problems are envisaged, the former Chelsea playmaker will put pen-to-paper on a lucrative four-year contract.

Signing Cole is a clear statement of intent from Liverpool and his imminent addition to the squad will be a huge boost for Roy Hodgson.

The new boss went public on his admiration for Cole following Saturday's abandoned friendly with Al Hilal in Austria but was coy as to whether he expected a deal to be sealed.

"As far as I know, Joe Cole is still a player looking for a club," he said. "I know we've been connected with him, and it's good to know we're connected with players of that quality."

However, Liverpool were determined not to beaten in the race for his signature and had spoken at length with Cole and his advisers at great length to convince him to move to Merseyside.

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