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STEWART DOWNING has been told that he can leave Liverpool FC during the January transfer window.

The Reds will listen to offers for the 28-year-old winger, who cost £20million from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011.

Downing has found himself down the pecking order since the appointment of Brendan Rodgers and is surplus to requirements at Anfield.

He hasn't started a Premier League game since the opening day defeat at West Brom, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Suso and Oussama Assaidi having been selected ahead of him.

Back in September Rodgers warned that Downing needed to show more ‘hunger and desire’ if he wanted to remain at the club beyond the winter transfer window.

The former England midfielder responded by vowing to fight for his place and insisted he wanted to remain with Liverpool until 2015, when his current contract expires.

However, despite getting the winner in the Europa League home clash with Anzhi, Downing has remained on the periphery of Rodgers' squad.

Liverpool are resigned to suffering a sizeable loss on the former Middlesbrough man but will hope to get back around half of what they paid Villa for his services.

If a suitable offer is received then Rodgers will put that cash towards signing the ‘two or three’ attacking players he wants to boost his firepower in January.