Liverpool have confirmed a deal to sign Manchester City defender Kolo Toure on a free transfer on 1 July.

The Ivory Coast international is out of contract and will join The Reds upon the expiration of his current deal at the Etihad Stadium.

Toure will replace the retiring Jamie Carragher at the heart of the Liverpool defence and will provide the club with a wealth of experience having played in the Premier League for 11 seasons.

Kolo Toure
Toure has won two league titles in his 11-year spell in English football.

The 32 year joined Arsenal in 2002, making his debut against Liverpool in the Community Shield, and was part of the Invincibles side which went the entire Premier League season unbeaten in the 2003/04 campaign.

After seven seasons with The Gunners, Toure joined Manchester City on a four-year deal, winning the league title with the club in the 2011/12 campaign before playing a bit-part role in his final season with the club.

Brother of City midfielder Yaya, Toure has won over a century of international caps for Ivory Coast, twice finishing as a runner-up in the African Nations Cup, while he was part of the squad which played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cup.

Toure becomes the first Ivorian to join Liverpool in the club's history and Brendan Rodgers' eighth signing during his tenure at the club. The veteran defender is Liverpool's first confirmed new addition ahead of the new season.