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Liverpool are closing in on their first signing of the summer.

The ECHO understands the Reds are set to win the race to land out-of-contract Chelsea striker Dominic Solanke, having beat off competition from a host of clubs at home and abroad.

The 19-year-old is expected to cost around £3m, with the fee to be determined by a Premier League tribunal. Solanke will initially form part of the Reds' U23 setup, though is expected to challenge for a first-team place at the same time.

Who is he?

Talented, versatile forward who has come through the ranks at Chelsea, and represented England at every level up to and including U21s.

What's his story?

Born in Reading to a Nigerian father and English mother, Solanke attended Brighton Hill Community School in Basingstoke but joined Chelsea's Academy as a seven-year-old and has been there since.

A prolific goalscorer, he progressed through the ranks at Stamford Bridge. His two goals against Fulham secured Chelsea the FA Youth Cup in 2014, and he was on target in the final against Manchester City as the Blues retained the trophy the following year.

He also top scored as Chelsea won the UEFA Youth League in 2015, scoring 12 times including another final goal against Shakhtar Donetsk in Nyon.

(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

His form has transferred to the international stage too. Solanke top scored as England won the European U17s Championships in Malta in 2014, again netting in the final against the Netherlands. The following day, he took an English GCSE exam.

He signed his first professional contract with Chelsea in September 2014, and the following month was drafted into Jose Mourinho's senior squad for a Premier League game at Crystal Palace.

He didn't feature there, but three days later he replaced Oscar in a Champions League win over Maribor at Stamford Bridge, becoming the club's youngest ever European player.

He would declare himself “over the moon” to have made his pro debut, while Mourinho would state that "for sure, he’s going to play many Champions League matches, because he will be a good player."

John Terry would that night post an Instagram picture suggesting this would be “the first of many” for his young teammate, but despite such early promise, and despite Mourinho's claim that he should “blame himself” if Solanke and other Chelsea youngsters, including Lewis Baker and Izzy Brown, do not go on to play for England, the young forward found first-team opportunities limited.

He was loaned to Vitesse Arnhem, a familiar path for Chelsea teens, for the 2015-16 season, scoring seven times in 27 appearances for the Eredivisie side as they secured a comfortable mid-table position.

He returned to London last summer, but has been unable to force himself into Antonio Conte's first-team plans. Conte admitted in February that talks over a new contract had broken down, but wished the youngster well.

A host of other clubs have been linked. German side RB Leipzig were keen, as were Celtic. Premier League clubs also sniffed, but Liverpool look set to win the race.

(Image: Jordan Mansfield - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

What type of player is he?

Well, his history suggests he's someone with an excellent eye for goal.

Though not the biggest, he is two-footed, sharp in and around the box and boasts excellent touch and movement. He's happy to run the channels and to play on the shoulder, though his hold-up play is improving fast.

Why is he leaving Chelsea?

First-team opportunities have been at a premium since his debut, which came almost three years ago. Chelsea have Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi, while Romelu Lukaku is reportedly on their radar this summer.

Many of the FA Youth Cup winning side have been forced out on loan in search of opportunities. The likes of Tammy Abraham, Izzy Brown, Lewis Baker and Kasey Palmer are included, while even older players such as Nathan Ake, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Chalobah have remained on the fringes of the first team.

Reports of £50,000-a-week wage demands in some national papers earlier in the season were retracted. It is understood that Solanke would earn less than half of that should he, as expected, sign for Liverpool.

(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

What happens now?

As the player is under the age of 24, Chelsea will be entitled to compensation from Liverpool.

That fee will be decided by the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC), a group of four or five people who will take into account numerous factors before deciding on a suitable compensation figure.

Those factors include the level of experience the player boasts, the status of the clubs involved in the deal and whether there were other clubs interested in the player.

Chelsea are likely to seek upwards of £6m for Solanke, but Liverpool are confident the ruling will see them pay closer to £3m.

Anything else worth knowing?

He's already trained with the senior England side, being drafted into a session at St George's Park in March 2015 due to injuries.

He counts the likes of Fernando Torres, Diego Costa and Didier Drogba among his idols, and is currently away with England at the U20 World Cup in South Korea.

He scored in the opening game of that, a calmly-converted penalty against Argentina, and you can watch him in action in the last 16 against Costa Rica in Jeonju on Wednesday. Kick off for that one is at noon British time, live on Eurosport.