Liverpool have finally signed a striker that they desperately need: they just have to wait until next season to see him in action. Standard Liege striker Milan Jovanovic has signed a pre-contract agreement with Liverpool, believed to be a three-year deal worth £10 million.

The Serbian international, 28, has been promised the opportunity to impress at Anfield next season after initially fearing he would become part of the supporting cast for Fernando Torres if he made the trip to Merseyside. Jovanovic has also reportedly received guarantees that Rafa Benitez will still be manager for Liverpool next season when he joins.

Aston Villa were linked with a £12 million move for the Serbian last year, who is out of contract in the summer. Jovanovic has also endeared himself to Liverpool fans by refusing a move to Everton last year, claiming David Moyes’ side were not a big enough club for him.

Jovanovic has previously played in Ukraine for Shakhtar Donetsk and in Russia for Lokomotiv Moscow, and joined Standard Liege in 2006. The striker has excelled in Belgium, scoring a 52 goals in 109 games, as part of the team that contains Arsenal and Man United target Steven Defour, Maroune Fellaini (now at Everton) and former Leeds and Everton midfielder Olivier Dacourt. Jovanovic is also a regular fixture for the Serbian national team, scoring 9 goals in 23 appearances and finishing as top scorer with 5 goals as Serbia easily qualified for this summer’s World Cup. This represents a coup for Benitez, as he is getting a player whose stock could raise significantly if the striker performs well at the World Cup.

Jovanovic should get plenty of chances to impress at Anfield and should become Liverpool’s second striking option behind Torres. But at 28, the Serbian is not a long-term solution for Rafa Benitez’s side and will be expected to contribute right away in the Premiership. But Liverpool fans will remember Andriy Voronin, a player, who like Jovanovic, arrived on a free transfer with big hype after dominating in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. But the Ukranian struggled to adapt to the Premiership, only scoring 5 goals in 3 years on Merseyside.

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Do you think the Jovanovic will be a hit at Anfield?