Jamie Carragher has welcomed Liverpool's acquisition of Joe Cole and believes it proves that the club "means business" ahead of the new season.

The midfielder was released by Chelsea at the end of the last campaign and had been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. But the 28-year-old instead decided to join Liverpool and yesterday flew to their training camp in Switzerland to undergo a medical after agreeing a four-year deal with Roy Hodgson's side.

"It's great news and it is a message that Liverpool mean business," said Carragher . "We have signed a top international player who has been really important for Chelsea. A lot of clubs wanted to sign him but it is a real coup that he has chosen to come here and you have got to give the manager and the board a pat on the back for convincing him to come here.

"Every supporter that I have spoken to is absolutely delighted and all the players are the same – it's given everyone a boost, just at the right time. It has been a long summer and we have been in a transitional period but now the World Cup is out of the way, we can start to look forward again.

"Joe is a player who has the ability to get supporters off their seats and I've no doubt he will do that here. Hopefully, there will be more to come. It's the kind of signing that we needed to make."

Carragher has had many tussles with Cole over the years and the two know each other well from international duty with England.

"Joe is a great lad to have around the squad, he mixes well and is a lively character," added Carragher. "In the modern game, you need forwards that can function in two or three different positions and Joe will do that, no problem at all. He can play on the right, through the middle or on the left."