Liverpool sign Kirkland for £8 million and Dudek

Liverpool have landed Coventry City's highly rated goalkeeper Chris Kirkland for £8 million after Polish international Jerzy Dudek's move was thrown into uncertainty that was resolved when Liverpool registered both men for the Champions league.

The 20 year old Kirkland is an England under-21 regular and has been signed ahead of the Champions League deadline for registering new players which expires tonight.

Kirkland's £8 million fee breaks the record set in July by Arsenal to sign Richard Wright from Ipswich Town.

But Liverpool have seen their bid for Dudek come close to the brink of collapse after agreeing a £4.85 million transfer fee with Feyenoord earlier this week.

The 28 year old Pole was supposed to be registered for the Champions league after passing a medical but he is on international duty in Chorzow and confirmation of the transfer going through came late.

In a statement on the club's official web site Coventry City chairman Bryan Richardson said:

"Very reluctantly, Coventry have agreed to accept an offer from Liverpool for our 20 year old goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. The offer, which breaks the British transfer fee record for a goalkeeper, was accepted as a consequence of relegation from the FA Premier League. The immediate loss through relegation is in excess of 15 million pounds to Coventry City - a fact which only highlights the ridiculous divide between the Premier League and First Division in financial terms."

"Chris Kirkland has come all the way through our youth/academy system and it is particularly sad that we are compelled to sell someone in this way, but financial circumstances have forced this action. We all wish Chris huge success at Liverpool and for England."