Liverpool have completed the signing of Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles from Porto.
The Reds have paid 14m euros (£11.5m) for the 27-year-old who has won 38 caps for his country.
The Portuguese, who signed a four-year contract, is a combative player who will replace the Barcelona-bound Javier Mascherano.
“Liverpool are a historic club and I am happy for the move. Roy Hodgson was key because he worked so hard to get me,” said Meireles in a statement to the official Liverpool website.
“It has been a long time coming but finally I have achieved my dream of playing in England”.
Meireles is part of a huge rebuilding project by Hodgson which has also seen Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic, Christian Poulsen, Danny Wilson and Jonjo Shelvey all making the switch to Anfield this summer.
Hodgson’s midfield options have been further depleted by the departure of Italian Alberto Aquilani to Juventus on a season-long loan deal.
He played in all four of his country’s games at the World Cup finals this summer, with Portugal eliminated by eventual winners Spain in the last 16.
Meireles began his professional career at Aves in 2001 before joining Boavista in 2003. He spent just one season at the club and then moved onto Porto.
It did not take long for Meireles to cement his place in the Porto side and during his six years at the club, he won four Portuguese league titles and the Portuguese Cup during the 2008/09 campaign.
Meireles had been linked with moves to both Manchester United and Chelsea this summer before joining Liverpool.
