LIVERPOOL are understood to be preparing a £5million Reebok raid for Wanderers playmaker Mark Davies.

After swelling his midfield ranks with his first summer signing, Keith Andrews, Owen Coyle faces a fight to keep hold of the 24-year-old, with Aston Villa also eyeing a move.

Sources on Merseyside claim Brendan Rogers has moved on to other midfield targets after losing out on Gylfi Sigurdsson to Tottenham, and is ready to test the water with a bid.

Any such move will not be welcomed at Wanderers, with Davies integral to Coyle’s plans to bounce straight back into the Premier League.

The former Wolves trainee has been persistently linked with Newcastle United in the national press since January, but no contact has been made between the two clubs.

And Coyle has left any potential suitor in no doubt as to his plans for Davies, telling The Bolton News he wanted to keep his side together next term in order to have the best possible chance of going straight back up.

“I’m under no pressure to sell our best young players,” the manager said. “We’re building a team for the future.”

How the club or player would respond to a firm bid, not least from an established giant such as Liverpool, remains to be seen. But Coyle has pressed ahead regardless with his recruitment plans, bringing on board Republic of Ireland international Andrews yesterday.

The season-long loan of defender Matt Mills remains unconfirmed, however, and is expected to remain so until next week.