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Liverpool FC will complete the £9m signing of Simon Mignolet early next week, after agreeing a deal with Sunderland for the Belgian goalkeeper.

Mignolet will head to Merseyside for a medical and to discuss personal terms upon his return from holiday this weekend and should, barring any last-minute hitches, become the Reds' fourth signing of the summer. He is expected to put pen to paper a five-year contract.

Liverpool refused to officially confirm the fee for the 24-year-old, but the ECHO understands that, after lengthy negotiations, a £9m deal has been struck with the Wearsiders, who aim to use the windfall to fund manager Paolo Di Canio's own summer spending spree.

Mignolet made 101 appearances for the Black Cats after joining from Belgian outfit Saint-Truden in 2010, and will arrive as one of the Premier League's most highly-rated 'keepers.

His signing will, however, cast doubt over the future of Pepe Reina at Anfield. The Spaniard insisted this week that he was “happy and satisfied” on Merseyside, with speculation linking the 30-year-old with a move to Barcelona having cooled.

Reina, though, is one of the highest- paid players at the club, and Mignolet's signing means Liverpool will now have two well-paid senior 'keepers on their books.

It is unlikely that either of them will be content to play second fiddle, with both desperate to represent their countries at next year's World Cup.

Mignolet's arrival will take Liverpool's summer spending past the £20m mark. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has moved quickly to strengthen his squad, splashing out £7.7m on Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas and £6m on attacking midfielder Luis Alberto, who was on Merseyside on Friday to complete his move from Sevilla.

He has also landed Manchester City defender Kolo Toure on a free transfer, and is not finished there.

He remains keen to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as well as the Portuguese-based duo Tiago Ilori, of Sporting Lisbon, and Christian Atsu, of FC Porto, though there has been no progress on those fronts in the last 24 hours.

Danny Wilson's free transfer move to Hearts, meanwhile, has fallen through after the Scottish side were placed into administration and under a transfer embargo.

The defender was due to move to Tynecastle upon the expiry of his Liverpool contract on July 1, but will now be forced to search for a new club. He will not be offered a new deal at Anfield.