Atsu set to join Liverpool

Ghana winger Christian Atsu is edging closer to his dream move to Liverpool after the prodigy was left out of Porto’s pre-season tour of Holland, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively report.

The decision by the Portuguese giants to leave one of their key players out of their 26-man squad for the tour of Holland indicates that he is unlikely to play for the club next season.

This comes after Porto indicated that they are now ready to cash in on Atsu after realizing that the youngster will not relent in his quest to leave the club to England.

Porto’s action proves that they are now willing to allow the youngster to leave as he is refusing to sign an extension to his expiring contract with other English clubs like Everton and Tottenham also interested.

The Ghana international was sent to train with the youth side of Porto on Monday afternoon as the entire first team squad left the Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport for Amsterdam.

Atsu is a top target for Merseyside clubs Everton and Liverpool, but the Portuguese giants were proving difficult negotiators.

The Ghana international forward is now inside the final year of his Porto deal and insisted that he wants to leave for England which was rebuffed by Porto thinking that Atsu would relent.

But the Ghana international insisted he is happy to play out the final 12 months of his deal with Porto and leave on a free transfer if they do not sell now.

Liverpool and Tottenham held tentative talks with Porto over Atsu this summer, with the winger declaring hopes of moving to the Premier League in recent weeks.

His reluctance to extend his expiring contract with Porto led to the club’s decision to leave him out of the team’s starting places in the latter part of last season.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes the 21-year-old Ghanaian would be a perfect addition to his squad as he looks to improve on last season’s seventh place Premier League finish.