Alberto excited by Liverpool move

Sevilla midfielder Luis Alberto will use the success of Spaniards in the Premier League to motivate him as he prepares to join his compatriots in England with a move to Liverpool.

The 20-year-old is expected to fly into Merseyside for a medical and discuss personal terms on Friday afternoon after the two clubs settled on a fee, believed to be in the region of £6million initially with potential add-ons.

"I'm very much looking forward to it," Alberto said. "I'm going to a club like Liverpool, a new culture, a new language, I have to adapt quickly but I'm really looking forward to this big step. There are many Spaniards in England and they are doing quite well. Seeing all of them succeeding there motivates me even more."

Alberto, who came though the ranks at Sevilla, spent last season on loan at Barcelona B - scoring 11 times in the second division - but the Catalans did not take up their option to sign him permanently.

He admits, however, it will be a wrench to leave his hometown club.

"I've always said that this is the club where I grew up, it's my home," he told Spanish newspaper Diario de Sevilla.

"I owe a lot to Sevilla, although I'm leaving a little hurt because I haven't had the chance to show what I can do in the Primera Division.

"It seems like I was going to return to Sevilla, but the Liverpool thing came up and it's a very important step.

"I've had to take a difficult and important decision and I hope I've got it right."