By Telegraph staff and agencies

11:35AM BST 14 Jul 2011

Liverpool announced Wednesday it had "been granted permission to discuss personal terms" with Downing.

The team arrived in Malaysia on Thursday for its preseason Asian tour but an official representing the Malaysian sponsors of the tour said they have been told Dalglish would fly back to England later Thursday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make the announcement.

Liverpool kicked off its Asian tour with a 4-3 victory over China's Guanghong Sunray Cave on Wednesday and is scheduled to play against a Malaysian side Saturday in its first trip to Kuala Lumpur.

Dalglish earlier Thursday declined to elaborate about the terms of the Downing agreement.

"We have agreed a fee with Aston Villa and he will undergo a medical. It is an ongoing process and we will reveal the details once everything is sorted out," he told a news conference.

The former Liverpool player also said getting into the Champions League should be the team's main target for the coming season.

"We may have fewer games this season as we are not in Europe but every good side wants to play in the Champions League," said Dalglish, who won three European Cups with Liverpool in 1978, 1981 and 1984.

"Our target for the coming season is to improve on our sixth placing and hopefully get into the Champions League."

Meanwhile, the Reds' managing director Ian Ayre confirmed Liverpool will also tour Asia in 2013.

"It took us a long time to come to Malaysia but we would like to come back here again. We will be back in Asia in 2013 but have yet to decide which countries we will be going to," he said.