Downing off to Kop.. if Kenny splashes cash

STEWART DOWNING will get his dream move to Liverpool - once they match Aston Villa's £20million price tag.

But if the Reds continue to try and land him on the cheap, the England winger faces having to try and force the transfer himself by slapping in a demand to go.

Kenny Dalglish is desperate for an out-and-out wide man to provide the ammunition for giant striker Andy Carroll next term.

Yet Liverpool's valuation falls around £5m below Villa's - and has so far left Downing in limbo.

Now the 26-year-old could find himself forced into asking for a move if the two clubs fail to reach an agreement.

Villa are quite prepared to lose the player even though he has two years left on his contract.

They are determined to avoid a repeat of the sagas which accompanied the sales of Gareth Barry and James Milner to Manchester City in recent seasons.

And new boss Alex McLeish wants time to bring in his own players ahead of the new season, having already lost Ashley Young to Manchester United.

Kop chief Dalglish, despite having cash to spend, knows he must offload several stars simply through sheer numbers.

SunSport revealed yesterday how one of them could be Juventus target Raul Meireles while the likes of Milan Jovanovic, Joe Cole and Maxi Rodriguez could also leave.

Dalglish has so far spent nearly £20m on Sunderland rookie Jordan Henderson but is also chasing Gael Clichy and Connor Wickham.

And his interest in Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam, who he failed to sign in January, has never dipped with another bid also expected over the next few days.