Sotiris Kyrgiakos
AEK Athens central defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos has claimed he is close to sealing a move to Liverpool: "I'm sad to be leaving but Liverpool is one of the greatest clubs in Europe. I can't wait to start."
Widespread reports in the English press this morning suggests Kyrgiakos has been bought for around £2 million and will sign a three-year deal at Anfield worth £30,000-a-week.
The 30-year-old Greek international (52 caps/4 goals) came through the ranks at Panathinaikos before spells at Glagow Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Kyrgiakos, 6.3ft, spent just one season at AEK Athens where he made 27 appearances, provided two assists and picked up seven yellow cards.
Crucially he speaks English which should aid his integration into the Premier League. In 2003 he suffered a serious injury to his left knee which saw him miss Euro 2004, which Greece went on to win.
Scouts in Greece describe Kyrgiakos as a "central defender who is very good in the air and always goes up front for every attacking set-piece. As a result he has scored some very important goals. He is also very strong but his passing isn’t great."
A goal Kyrgiakos scored in a Euro 2008 qualification game against Norway can be seen on the video below.