The 20-year-old Benfica winger is poised to complete a transfer to Anfield over the coming days after the Merseyside club activated his release clause

By Paul Clennam

Lazar Markovic has flown to Liverpool to undergo a medical ahead of a €25 million move to Anfield.

The Benfica winger was pictured at Portea Aeroporto in Portugal on Saturday morning and is understood to be on his way to Merseyside.

Markovic was originally scheduled to fly in on Thursday after the Anfield outfit agreed to pay the €25m release clause in the player’s contract.

But the transfer is now set to be completed this weekend as Liverpool push ahead with summer recruitment plans following the £70m sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona.

Lazar Markovic leaves Lisbon with brother Filip and agent Ulisses Santos to become €25m Liverpool player. #LFC #SLB pic.twitter.com/2P33yXalpS

— Duncan Castles (@DuncanCastles) July 12, 2014

Markovic, who turned 20 in March, was part of an impressive forward line which helped Benfica to a place in the Europa League final last season.

However, he did not play in the penalty shootout defeat to Sevilla after being sent off from the bench in the semi-final against Juventus following an altercation with Mirko Vucinic.

Liverpool are also close to completing deals for Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren and Belgium international Divock Origi.

The Merseyside club has already signed Saints pair Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, and former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can.

Brendan Rodgers is bolstering his squad as the club aim to maintain last season’s Premier League title challenge while competing in the Champions League.