Liverpool FC agree Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic summer move

Feb 3 2010 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ’S summer squad rebuilding began in earnest yesterday when Milan Jovanovic sealed a move to Liverpool.

The Serbia international has signed a pre-contract agreement that will see him arrive from Belgian club Standard Liege at the end of the season.

Jovanovic’s consistently impressive form had attracted a clutch of potential suitors from across Europe, including Italian giants AC Milan.

He was reported to be stalling over a move to Liverpool until assurances were made over the long-term future of Benitez.

But the 29-year-old has now negotiated a three-year deal at Anfield that commits him to the club until at least 2013.

Jovanovic boasts a record of a goal almost every other game during his spell at Standard Liege, for whom he appeared against both Liverpool and Everton in European competition last season.

A regular for Serbia, he is expected to play a key role for his country in this summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa.

And Jovanovic will have endeared himself to Liverpool supporters with his claims a year ago of having rejected a move to neighbours Everton by saying: “Everton aren’t a big club. That club I have turned down already.”

Benitez has been keen to bolster his attacking resources given the ongoing fitness concerns of Fernando Torres and last month’s departure of Andriy Voronin.

The Liverpool manager also remains interested in Marouane Chamakh, Bordeaux’s highly-rated striker who is also available on a free transfer in June.

Jovanovic’s imminent arrival is a sign of Benitez planning for life at Anfield beyond the end of the season, despite continued interest from Juventus.

But Jamie Carragher believes such rumours are nothing new, and is confident Liverpool’s players can ignore outside influences ahead of Saturday’s visit of Everton for the Merseyside derby.