Real Madrid midfielder Luis Figo during a training session in June 2005. The Marca sports daily said Figo is poised to join European champions Liverpool. (Agencies)

Liverpool's hopes of signing the Portugal international Luis Figo from Real Madrid are being frustrated by the Spanish club's unexpected ￡2m valuation of the veteran midfielder. Talks between the player and the two clubs are expected to resume today.

Liverpool hope to follow up the signing of Figo with that of the England striker Peter Crouch, with an improved offer of ￡6.5m to be submitted to Southampton before the weekend. Rafael Benítez saw a ￡5m bid for the striker rejected last month but he is hopeful that the second offer will be accepted.

Jamie Carragher will follow Steven Gerrard's lead and sign a new four-year contract at Anfield today taking the England defender's weekly wage package from ￡40,000 to nearer ￡65,000.
Djimi Traoré and Dietmar Hamann formally put pen to paper on new contracts at the club yesterday. José Reina, signed from Villarreal for ￡6m, will make his Liverpool debut at Wrexham tomorrow.

England's goalkeeper Paul Robinson has signed a new seven-year contract with Tottenham. The Colombian midfielder John Viafara has completed his ￡1.6m move to Portsmouth after passing a medical.

Tony Adams will join Feyenoord next season as a trainee coach. The 38-year-old will train the club's under-21 squad. "I believe that I can teach players a lot with my experience but I also hope to pick up a feel of the Dutch youth programme and the structure," Adams said.

(Agencies)