Jay Spearing
Spearing spent last season on loan at Bolton.

Bolton Wanderers manager Dougie Freedman says the club will continue to pursue a permanent deal for Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing despite the Anfield club's high asking price.

Spearing spent last season on loan at the Reebok Stadium, scoring two goals in 38 starts as The Trotters finished outside the play off places in the Championship.

After Stuart Holden suffered another knee injury while on international duty with the United States, Bolton's need for a central midfielder has intensified and Freedman says the club will continue to work on a deal for Spearing despite Liverpool's astronomical demands.

"Jay Spearing is the kind of player I love," he said at a fans' forum on Monday.

"At the moment, the asking price is too high but we're still trying to do a deal."

Spearing played an important role for The Reds during Kenny Dalglish's second spell as manager during the 2011/12 season but following the return to full fitness of Lucas Leiva and the signing of Joe Allen, the 24 year old appears to be surplus to requirements on Merseyside.

Wanderers are among the favourites for promotion this season having added Jermaine Beckford to their artillery and begin their campaign this weekend away to local rivals Burnley.

Meanwhile, Andy Carroll and Jonjo Shelvy have already left Liverpool for West Ham United and Swansea City while Spanish pair Suso and Pepe Reina will spend next season on loan at Almeria and Napoli respectively.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has brought in four new faces this summer and continues to target both an attacking midfielder and a left back to supplement a squad which will have ambitions of breaking into the Premier League top four.

The Northern Irishman said earlier this month: "I still think another attacking, creative player, and depending on what goes out of the club - because naturally there might be one or two players who need to go out and play more - then we'll need to fill those areas that have been vacated.

"Certainly another attacking player will really benefit us, and probably another defender.

"We'll see how it develops over the course of the next few months."