New Liverpool goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet, is excited by the challenge that awaits him at Anfield.

The highly-rated 25-year-old shot-stopper inked a long-term £9 million with the Reds on Tuesday night, ending his three year stay at Sunderland.

He becomes the first Belgian to play for Liverpool, and his signing is yet another early transfer coup for Reds manager, Brendan Rodgers.

"I'm delighted we have been able to sign one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League," said Rodgers after the deal was announced.

Mignolet hopes that playing for Liverpool will cement his position in the dashing Belgian national team ahead of the next World Cup in Brazil, and is pleased as punch at his “big” move to Merseyside.

"Liverpool's a big club," said Mignolet.

"To be the first Belgian to play for Liverpool is a big thing.

"This is a big challenge for me but that's what you want. You want to play in the big games, you want to play for a big club and to play with pressure."

Meanwhile, rumours continue to swirl regarding Liverpool's pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder,  "Heno" Mkhitaryan.

Liverpool are willing to pay the Armenian star's estimated £20 million release clause, but the Ukrainian club says no negotiations have taken place with the Reds.

But one of Mkhitaryan's agents says otherwise, and the player himself is repotedly absent without leave from Shakhtar's pre-season training, with Twitter sleuths allegedly photographing him in a London hotel.