“The player will arrive on a permanent basis with a contract for four-and-a-half years.”

Andriy Voronin, another player deemed surplus to requirements, was due in Russia yesterday for talks with Dinamo Moscow over a reported £1.5m move.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard admits he and his team-mates must take responsibility for Liverpool’s underwhelming campaign.

Benitez’s side entertain Tottenham on Sunday standing in seventh place in the Premier League, some four points adrift of the fourth-placed Londoners.

And Gerrard said: “People have said our position is puzzling after last season’s success. It’s not puzzling at all. The table never lies, we haven’t been good enough.

“We are in this position for a reason and it tells us that we really haven’t been good enough, and the players have to take responsibility for that.

“All us Liverpool players have got to look at our league position, roll our sleeves up and get this football club back where it belongs, as far up the table as possible.”

Gerrard added: “It has been hard to take this season, yes. We’re all very disappointed with the way things have gone, especially after finishing second last campaign.

“There was a big belief we could go all the way. But now is not the time for hiding. We have to look at ourselves and put it right.

“We must aim for the top four, and that is something big to play for still. It’s a priority now, as it always is at this club, for financial reasons and because all top players want to play in the Champions League, me included.”

Meanwhile, young Australian goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis has extended his loan at Accrington Stanley until the end of the month.