The Reds will sign 19-year-old striker Dominic Solanke on July 1 after his contract at Stamford Bridge expires.
Liverpool’s first addition of the summer to boost the options available to Jurgen Klopp next season has been confirmed, and Solanke will join the Reds in July.
As reported earlier on Tuesday, the Reds’ interest had stepped up and the club were confident of having agreed terms for Solanke to make the switch from Stamford Bridge to Anfield.
Signing the striker after the expiration of his contract means the fee will be decided by tribunal, with Liverpool expecting around a £3 million payment to be required.
RB Leipzig and Celtic were among the teams reported to be interested in snaring his signature, as well as Chelsea hoping to retain him, but a lack of game time under Antonio Conte has seen the forward opt to move on.
Previously, Solanke scored seven times in the Eredivisie on loan at Vitesse in 2015/16, while making his debut for the blues the season before in the Champions League—their youngest-ever player in the competition.
Solanke is on international duty with England at the Under-20 World Cup, playing a starting role in the two opening group games and appearing as sub in the third, netting once from the penalty spot along the way so far as his nation heads into the knock-out stage.
Joining the Reds at the start of July means there’s a high probability he’ll be involved in the entirety of his new club’s pre-season campaign, with early chances for his club debut coming in the Asia Trophy midway through the month.
Solanke joins Rhian Brewster in Liverpool strikers representing England’s youth sides in age-specific tournaments this summer, while new team-mates Sheyi Ojo and Ovie Ejaria are also part of England’s Under-20 World Cup squad.
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