Jay Spearing Reportedly Turns Down Blackburn Move

Last week, Liverpool and Blackburn agreed to a sale of Jay Spearing, but the Rovers still needed to come to personal terms with the diminutive midfielder. After he featured in Liverpool's friendly with Preston yesterday, many wondered if something had gone amiss in those negotiations. Well, if the Mirror is to be believed, something has.

According to that report, Spearing has turned down any potential move to Blackburn because he wishes to return to Bolton, where he enjoyed a successful loan spell last season. He quickly became a fixture for the Wanderers, even surviving the sacking of Owen Coyle and the arrival of Dougie Freedman. In the end, he won the fans' Player of the Season award, and has previously expressed interest in returning to the Reebok Stadium.

Price would appear to be an issue, however. The club, despite their desire to retain Spearing, declined a reported £3 million purchase clause at the end of the loan, and this tweet from a Q&A session with Freedman suggests that even Blackburn's price may be too steep:

DF: "We spoke to Liverpool and their valuation was too high. Please do not believe the price that some journalist makes up."

— Official BWFC (@OfficialBWFC) July 9, 2013

That said, with Spearing apparently only interested in a return to the Greater Manchester club, there's now some incentive for both clubs to find a way to make the move work.

While Spearing is much adored by many Liverpool fans, it's hard to deny that finding him a place in the squad will prove difficult. His energy and desire can only be admired, but his technical skills leave something to be desired for a club with top-four aspirations. In the end, a club like Bolton who are fighting for promotion to the Premier League--and will hopefully soon be fighting to stay in it--is a much better fit for Wee Jay.

Either way, this likely won't be the last we hear about Jay Spearing's future this summer.