Liverpool FC to make improved £18m bid for Stewart Downing - report

Liverpool are reportedly ready to launch a fresh bid for Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing, believed to be worth around £18million.

The Merseysiders failed with a £15m bid for the 26-year-old earlier this week, but the England international remains top of Kenny Dalglish's list of transfer targets following the £9m signing of Charlie Adam from Blackpool.

As previously reported, Villa insist that Downing will not be sold for less than £19m, but according to BBC Sport, Liverpool are set to lodge an improved bid of around £18m in the next 24 hours.

Downing is set for talks with Villa boss Alex McLeish and is believed to be ready to hand in a transfer request should he not be granted permission to move to Anfield, after telling the club that he has no intention of extend his existing contract at Villa Park.

Arsenal are also interested in the former Middlesbrough player, who moved to Villa in July 2009 in a £12m deal, but Downing is understood to prefer a move to Merseyside.

Blackpool captain Adam has passed a medical and is expected to complete his move to Liverpool in the next few hours, while Newcastle defender Jose Enrique is also a target for Dalglish.