Liverpool FC are close to signing Birmingham City winger Jermaine Pennant with reports claiming a fee of £6.2million (€9.1 million) has been agreed between the two clubs.

Birmingham confirmed that they had rejected an offer from Liverpool for Pennant earlier on Tuesday, believed to be around £3.5million (€5.1 million), but recent reports now reveal that a fee in excess of £6million has been agreed, with the former Arsenal winger now only having to agree personal terms before his move to Anfield is confirmed.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has made no secret of his desire to bring in a new right-sided player and has been continually frustrated in his attempts to sign Seville's Brazilian right-back Daniel Alves.

Liverpool have been chasing Alves for some time, but have been continually frustrated in their attempts to lure him to Anfield, despite the fact that Sevilla have reluctantly accepted that their 23-year-old right back wanted a move to Liverpool.

In June, the President of the UEFA Cup winning side, Jose Maria del Nido, admitted that the club were reluctantly negotiating with Liverpool to sell their talented Brazilian player.

Liverpool have already seen two bids rejected for Alves, with Sevilla determined to keep hold of one of their star players and were reportedly trying to attain a fee of around £10 million (€14.5m) for Alves, but Liverpool were unwilling to pay that much for the player, who joined Sevilla from Brazilian club-side Bahia in 2002 and has been a regular in the Spanish side’s first-team over the past two seasons.

Now Benitez has turned to Pennant, with the 23-year-old keen to return to the Premiership after Birmingham were relegated last season, but City have been adamant that they would hold out for their price and now it seems agreement between the two clubs has been reached.

Pennant has also played for Notts County, Arsenal, Watford, Leeds United and as an England Under-21 player, but has yet to make an impression on the England first-team, but would finally solve the problem on the right-wing for Liverpool.

Neither club have made any comments on the recent reports, but it is widely expected that a deal will be finalised in the next few days.

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