Midfielders Set For Anfield Exit

ACCORDING to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing is set for a move away from the club before the transfer window closes on Friday, with both Wolves and Bolton keen to snap up the 23 year old.

Spearing, who has been at Liverpool since the age of 8, is understandably reluctant to leave the Merseyside club, however after being informed that he doesn’t play a major role in Brendan Rodgers’s thinking, the defensive midfielder has accepted that his future may lie elsewhere.

It is believed that Spearing had initially considered leaving Anfield on a season-long loan, however the arrivals of Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin have pushed him even further down the pecking order at Liverpool and with Wolves and Bolton both prepared to meet the Merseyside club’s asking price of £3m, a permanent deal now seems likely.

Although reports of a fee having been agreed yesterday were premature, Bolton appear to be in pole position in the race to secure the former England U 21 international, with Owen Coyle publicly extolling the virtues of the tough tackling midfielder last week.

Coyle is looking to bolster his midfield options as he looks to set about gaining promotion from the Championship for Bolton at the first time of asking, and has received a glowing report on Spearing from former Reds’ assistant manager Sammy Lee; now head of coaching at Bolton’s academy.

Wolves, however, are also keen for Spearing to join them. Wanderers enquired about loaning the player last summer but a firm bid was never tabled. New manager, Stale Solbakken is known to be an admirer and, after the sales of Jarvis and Fletcher, there’s no shortage of transfer funds at Molineux just now.
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
Spearing is just one of a number of players that could leave Anfield before Friday’s deadline, with the Reds reportedly keen to offload Joe Cole and Charlie Adam as well.

Cole had been linked with a move to West Ham but, according to the Echo, the East London club have ruled themselves out of the running to re-sign their former player with Cole’s wages and injury problems putting paid to any potential deal.

Reports on Adam suggest that a number of Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Fulham, are interested in securing the services of the Scottish international. Stoke have also entered the race for the midfielder, who Liverpool value at £7m, and it is likely that with so many clubs interested in the former Blackpool man, Adam has played his last league game in a Reds’ shirt.

You can catch Neil on Twitter @Neil1980 and on his blog http://itsallinthegameblog.wordpress.com/
[ad_pod id=’DFP-MPU’ align=’right’]
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com

Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook