Robbie Keane completes £20.3 million Liverpool move
Monday, 28 Jul 2008 22:29
Robbie Keane joins Liverpool in deal that could be worth £20.3m
Robbie Keane has joined
Liverpool in a deal that could be worth £20.3 million.
The Irish striker has joined the Merseyside club from
Tottenham Hotspur after agreeing a four-year contract.
Keane, 28, underwent a medical on Monday and could debut for the Reds in their friendly against Villarreal on Wednesday.
The former Spurs captain has now joined his sixth club, concluding a six-year spell with the north London club which began when he was signed from Leeds United for £7 million in 2002.
He became Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's number one transfer target over the summer, with the Spaniard incurring Tottenham's wrath by making their interest in the striker public.
A statement on the Spurs website confirming the transfer said that Liverpool had acknowledged that "the way its website reported comments of its manager, which were widely covered by the media, was inappropriate and in light of that acknowledgement has apologised and agreed to make a donation to our Club's main charity, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation".
"Tottenham Hotspur has therefore agreed not to pursue its official complaint to the Premier League," it added.
However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy - who reported both Liverpool and
Manchester United to the Premier League earlier this month over their pursuit of Keane and Dimitar Berbatov, respectively - remains concerned by the manner of Keane's exit.
"I was incredibly disappointed when I first heard, not only that Liverpool had been working behind the scenes to bring Robbie to Anfield, but that Robbie himself wanted to go and he submitted a transfer request to this effect," he said.
"I have already made my opinion clear on the nature of this transaction.
"I don't regard it as a transfer deal - that is something which happens between two clubs when they both agree to trade - this is very much an enforced sale, for which we have agreed a sum of £19 million as compensation plus a potential further £1.3 million in additional compensation."
Keane is set to be unveiled at Liverpool's Melwood training ground on Tuesday morning.