JAY SPEARING is edging closer to a permanent move away from Liverpool, with Bolton Wanderers and Wolves keen on securing a £3m move for the midfielder.

The npower Championship duo have expressed their interest in the 23-year-old, who has been told he can leave Anfield this summer by Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. Contrary to reports which circulated on Tuesday, however, no deal has yet been agreed by either club.

Spearing, for his part, is reluctant to leave the club he has been been at since the age of eight. But having been informed that he does not figure prominently in Rodgers’ plans, he is prepared to accept that his future lies away from Anfield.

He made 25 appearances for the Reds last season, and started their FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea at Wembley, but he has not made the bench for either of Liverpool’s opening two Premier League fixtures this season.

And with Rodgers’ midfield options boosted by the signings of Nuri Sahin and Joe Allen, Spearing is expected to be moved on before Friday’s transfer deadline.

The former England U21 man had initially been prepared to consider a season-long loan move, but it is now understood that a permanent deal is in the offing, with both Bolton and Wolves prepared to meet the Reds’ asking price.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle is keen to add a central midfielder to his squad, and has received a glowing reference on Spearing from former Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee, who is now head of academy coaching at the Reebok Stadium.

Wolves, meanwhile, have also expressed an interest, and with cash from the sales of Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher at their disposal, would be able to match both Liverpool’s asking price and Spearing’s wage demands. Wanderers were keen on Spearing last summer, but a loan move failed to materialise. New Molineux boss Stale Solbakken, though, is a fan.

Another player Liverpool are keen to offload before Friday is Joe Cole, but that prospect appears unlikely after West Ham United ruled themselves out of the running for the 30-year-old.

Cole, who started his career with the Hammers, is currently recovering from a pulled hamstring, a recurring problem, and is expected to be out of action for at least another fortnight. That issue, plus his extravagant Anfield wages, looks likely to deter any would-be suitors.