Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll will be a hit at Liverpool, says Barcelona striker David Villa

Barcelona hitman David Villa has backed Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll to become firm fans' favourites at Anfield.

The Spanish World Cup winner sees Liverpool's new strike force as solid business by the Kop hierarchy, and has played down the cost of the £57.8million pairing.

Backing: David Villa (left) says Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez will wow Liverpool fans

'Each year there are big transfers of this type. It’s normal,' said Villa.

'All teams need to strengthen when they want to win things.'

The 29-year-old striker continued: ‘Liverpool needed to reinforce after the sale of Fernando (Torres). They are two great players who are worth every penny. I’m sure they’ll be a hit with the fans.'

Double act: Kenny Dalglish (centre) poses with new signings Andy Carroll (left) and Luis Suarez

Meanwhile, Reds caretaker boss Kenny Dalglish says Raul Meireles is now earning praise in accordance with his stature as one of Europe's top midfielders.

The 27-year-old Portugal international smashed his fourth goal in five games to give the Reds a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. 

And Dalglish is not surprised by his progress. 

'Understandably Raul has been getting some headlines for the goals he’s scored in recent weeks,' Dalglish said in his LFC Weekly column.

'His performances have been what I’ve expected. I knew he was a good footballer before he came to the club and he’s shown that.

Hitting form: Raul Meireles (left) scores against Chelsea to sour Fernando Torres' debut against his former club

'He’s intelligent and very good technically; he puts in a pile of running too. He’s getting on the scoresheet so often because he’s playing a bit further forward. Those goals are a huge bonus for us.

'The strike on Sunday wasn’t as easy as it looked. He had to get up and over the ball to make sure he knocked it inside the post.

'The great thing for us was we had players getting into the box to capitalise on chances like that.'

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Champions League: Team of the Tournament

Striker: Lionel Messi, Barcelona

The reigning World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi once again proved his greatness in this year's Champions League. Leading all players with eight goals in the competition, the defining moment of Messi's tournament was scoring four times in the second leg against Arsenal in the quarterfinals.

Striker: Ivica Olic, Bayern Munich

Olic capped a fantastic campaign with a hat trick in the second leg of Bayern's semifinal against Lyon. The 3-0 win in France put the German side in the final, while the three goals gave Olic seven goals in the competition, just one behind leader Lionel Messi.

Midfielder: Arjen Robben, Bayern Munich

Perhaps the player of the competition, Robben has twice saved Bayern from elimination late in the 2nd leg of a knockout round match. With his German side down 3-2 on aggregate against Fiorentina, Robben unleashed a furious strike into the upper left corner of the net. Bayern would advance on away goals. Against Manchester United, Bayern faced a similar predicament, trailing 4-3 on aggregate with less than 20 minutes left at Old Trafford. Robben took a long service off corner straight out of the air, a sent a punishing shot just inside the post to cut down the Red Devils.

Midfielder: Xavi, Barcelona

Xavi's true contributions are rarely found on the scoresheet. It's how he controls a game that separates Xavi from other midfielders. The engine that powers the world's most dynamic offense, Xavi once again proved himself to be the most influential player on the pitch, match in and match out.

Midfielder: Yoann Gourcuff, Bordeaux

At just 23 years old, Gourcuff has already emerged as a world-class midfielder. The dynamic player led Bordeaux to a quarterfinal appearance, registering two goals and two assists in the competition.