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• Defender has held constructive talks with club’s hierarchy
• 32-year-old does not expect to earn England recall

Jamie Carragher has confirmed he is close to finalising a new contract at Liverpool following constructive talks with the club’s hierarchy.

The 32-year-old, who admits England’s current defensive shortage will not lead to another international recall, has entered the final year of his existing deal after negotiations were placed on hold during the summer. Roy Hodgson, the Liverpool manager, said a new contract for Carragher would be a priority once the transfer window had closed and, despite the ongoing uncertainty over the ownership of the club, the vice-captain is expected to sign a two-year extension this month.

“I have spoken to the managing director, Christian Purslow, and we’ve had a good chat about the new contract. I’m sure it will happen,” said Carragher yesterday. “The most important thing was for the club to get the ins and outs sorted before the transfer deadline. That’s done now so I’m sure we will have something sorted out in the next week or two.”

Carragher accepted a surprise invitation from Fabio Capello to relaunch his international career this summer but, despite a lack of experienced central defenders for England’s European Championship qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland, he is adamant the World Cup recall will not be repeated.

Asked whether Capello had been in contact again, the Liverpool defender said: “No. England will be all right. I think [Phil] Jagielka is a great player, [Michael] Dawson has done great for Tottenham and [Matthew] Upson is back in the squad now. England knew the situation at the start. It was a one-off thing for me going back. They were in a bit of trouble and so they asked me. I liked the idea of working with Capello and to have another chance of playing in a World Cup. I honestly thought England had a chance of winning it – can you believe that!”

Carragher’s 14-year career in the Liverpool first team will be marked with a testimonial against an Everton XI at Anfield tomorrow, with all the proceeds going to his charitable ‘23 Foundation’. He insists that, despite Liverpool’s financial problems and another modest outlay in the latest transfer window, the team can make an impact in Hodgson’s debut season as manager.

“I want to push on, I want to get in the top four and I want to win a trophy,” he said. “Liverpool supporters haven’t been to Wembley for a very long time because of the Cardiff situation a few years ago and I want to play at Wembley for Liverpool. I’ve never done that and that is one of my aims for this season. We don’t want to be treading water, I certainly hope not.”

Jamie CarragherLiverpoolAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

Fernando Torres scored for the first time since April to put a flattering gloss on Liverpool’s performance against West Bromwich Albion this afternoon. Roberto Di Matteo’s side, who had James Morrison sent off late on, were a comfortable match for Liverpool throughout but one touch of class from the Spain international gave Albion another painful lesson away from home.

Despite Torres, Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger and Milan Jovanovic all returning after missing the Europa League play‑off win at Trabzonspor, Liverpool started as poorly as they had done in Turkey. Ponderous, disjointed and overly reliant on the long ball, Hodgson’s side invited the pressure that duly came from the composed, intelligent visitors, for whom Youssouf Mulumbu shielded the back four expertly while Morrison and Graham Dorrans took the game to the home side.

Albion, with Marc-Antoine Fortuné making his second debut for the club following his £2.5m return from Celtic, lacked both a cutting edge and the benefit of the doubt from the referee Lee Probert to make this a damaging afternoon for Liverpool. The match official dismissed Albion’s appeals for a penalty in the 28th minute, when Jonas Olsson was clearly wrestled to the floor by Martin Skrtel, and again when Christian Poulsen almost removed the substitute Somen Tchoyi’s shirt in the second half. Probert did even matters out, however, when he refused to award a spot-kick when Gonzalo Jara handled inside his own area.

The visitors’ grievance was compounded in the 65th minute when, after Jara had failed to convert Fortuné’s cut-back to the far post, Liverpool counter-attacked to devastating effect.

Dirk Kuyt led the break, exchanged passes with Torres, and surged onwards down the left before picking out the unmarked Spaniard on the edge of the area with a perfectly weighted chip. Torres connected cleanly on the volley and found the bottom corner of Scott Carson’s goal. With five minutes remaining the striker was felled by a late swipe from Morrison, and Probert had no hesitation in showing the Albion midfielder the red card.

Premier LeagueLiverpoolWest BromAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Raul Meireles arrives at Liverpool in £11.5m switch
• Roy Hodgson ‘key’ to move to England from Porto

Raul Meireles has insisted he is not a Javier Mascherano clone after completing his move to Liverpool from Porto.

The 27-year-old has joined Roy Hodgson’s side for £11.5m, the Premier League club have announced on their official website.

The Portugal international Meireles has signed a four-year contract and will add weight to a Liverpool midfield which was looking short on numbers following the departures of Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani.

And, quoted in the Sunday Express, he said: “Roy Hodgson was key to me coming here because he worked so hard to sign me.

“I am Meireles and not Mascherano and that will be clear to the fans. I hope one day the Liverpool fans will remember me for being successful.”

Meireles has won four titles with Porto and been capped 38 times by Portugal, playing in all four of his country’s games at this summer’s World Cup.

Liverpool agreed a deal on Friday to allow Mascherano to move to Barcelona after the midfielder, whose family could not settle on Merseyside, was reportedly unprepared to play for the club.

Aquilani also departed for Juventus in a loan deal which brought to an end, at least temporarily, an under-whelming and injury-hit spell in the city in which he failed adequately to replace Xabi Alonso.

With Liverpool financially constrained as their owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, attempt to sell the club, fans have had to make do with limited arrivals this summer – Christian Poulsen from Juventus and Joe Cole on a free transfer from Chelsea being the headline names.

On the pitch Liverpool have started the season in uninspiring fashion under their new manager, Roy Hodgson, with last week’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City particularly dispiriting.

They at least have a Europa League campaign to look forward to after overcoming Trabzonspor this week.

Meireles, at home in the centre of midfield, scored in Portugal’s 7-0 win over South Korea in South Africa this summer.

LiverpoolFC PortoTransfer windowguardian.co.uk