Villa eye Cole as Downing replacement

Kenny Dalglish flew back to Merseyside on Thursday night to seal the deal for Stewart Downing that will see Liverpool’s spending reach £100million in the seven months since his emotional return to Anfield.

In the morning press, it reported that Liverpool and England midfielder Joe Cole could move to Aston Villa.

Aston Villa accepted an offer in the region of £20million for Stewart Downing late Wednesday evening and with Villa having also lost Ashley Young to Manchester United, Alex McLeish has made inquiry from Kenny Dalglish over the availability of Joe Cole.

Joe Cole has been rumoured to be on the way out of Anfield and the high earner who joined on a free transfer from Chelsea, would jump at a chance to kick start his career again in Birmingham. The signing of Jordon Henderson, Charlie Adam and now Stewart Downing has moved him down the pecking order.

Any deal for Cole is unlikely to be part of the transfer that will take Downing to Merseyside. Both clubs likely to want to keep each deal separately.

Liverpool would be demanding a transfer fee in the region of £4million for the England international.

According to Jamie Carragher, who is captaining Liverpool in the far east, Downing's arrival could see Andy Carroll, in particular, receive the kind of service he was deprived of in his first half-season on Merseyside. Carroll, who has Alan Shearer's hunger for a well-delivered cross, managed only two goals.

   “It's a terrific signing, there is no doubt about that whatsoever,” said Carragher of Downing after an open training session in the Bukit Jalil Stadium, which attracted 38,700 supporters, who greeted every simple pass or shot into an open net ecstatically.

“He will definitely make a difference with his ability to go outside and down the line to get in quality crosses. He was Aston Villa's player of the year and he will give us something we have been lacking – genuine quality on the left-hand side.”

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Source: Footie-Online.co.uk

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