Liverpool and Blackburn agree £6m fee for Bellamy

Liverpool have been given permission to discuss personal terms with the Blackburn Rovers striker, Craig Bellamy, as the clubs have agreed on a fee of £6m.

That offer from Rafael Benitez's side has triggered a clause in Bellamy's contract allowing him to move to a club playing in the Champions' League.

However, the only sticking point is whether Bellamy can prove to Benitez that he will not be a problem to work with. The Wales striker is on his honeymoon at the moment but the Liverpool manager has requested a meeting with him upon his return so that he can assess his character. Bellamy has been no stranger to trouble during his career, falling out most publicly with his Newcastle United manager Graeme Souness and accusing him of lying.

Benitez is keen to find more firepower for his side as he tries to turn them into Premiership challengers and Bellamy fits the bill after an impressive season with Rovers in which he scored 17 times. The 25-year-old would add a cutting edge to a misfiring forward line which has already lost Fernando Morientes, sold to Valencia, from last season and Djibril Cissé who broke his leg just before the World Cup when he was set for an £8m move to Marseilles.

That loss of revenue has forced Liverpool to reject plans to try to sign Charlton Athletic's Darren Bent - who would have cost around £8m - and set their sights on Bellamy instead.

While Bellamy may be leaving Ewood Park, Steven Reid is staying, having signed a new four-year contract which will keep him at the club until 2010.

The Republic of Ireland international, 25, had been the subject of reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur but will now be part of Rovers' squad for next season, when they will play in the Uefa Cup.