Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz has played down speculation that he is seeking a move away from Ewood Park.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing the Paraguay international.
But Santa Cruz, 26, who scored 23 goals last season, says he is ready to continue his Blackburn career.
"A lot of people said my transfer to a bigger club was about to happen, but I live in the present and I'm focused on Blackburn," he told Paravision TV.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Winterburn given Blackburn role
Former Arsenal full-back Nigel Winterburn is to join manager Paul Ince's backroom team at Blackburn to work as defensive coach.
The 44-year-old will travel with Rovers to their pre-season training camp in Germany on Wednesday.
After retiring in 2003, Winterburn has been working in the media.
Rovers chairman John Williams said: "Pulling together a new backroom team with the right balance of skills, experience and ideas is important."
The 44-year-old will travel with Rovers to their pre-season training camp in Germany on Wednesday.
After retiring in 2003, Winterburn has been working in the media.
Rovers chairman John Williams said: "Pulling together a new backroom team with the right balance of skills, experience and ideas is important."
Fowler to link up with Blackburn
Robbie Fowler is joining Blackburn for pre-season training after rejecting a pay-as-you-play deal from Cardiff.
The ex-England striker was expected to sign a new one-year deal with the Bluebirds but told the club on Thursday he would be linking up with Rovers.
Fowler, 33, has not played since December because of a hip injury that required surgery in the United States.
He will be reunited with new Blackburn manager Paul Ince - an old friend since their time together at Anfield.
The ex-England striker was expected to sign a new one-year deal with the Bluebirds but told the club on Thursday he would be linking up with Rovers.
Fowler, 33, has not played since December because of a hip injury that required surgery in the United States.
He will be reunited with new Blackburn manager Paul Ince - an old friend since their time together at Anfield.
Aston Villa make move for Bentley
Blackburn boss Paul Ince has revealed that Aston Villa have lodged an offer for midfielder David Bentley.
The England international, 23, did not play in Blackburn's pre-season victory at Macclesfield on Monday because of a calf problem picked up in training.
Bentley has made it clear that he wants to leave Blackburn and has also been linked Tottenham, who Ince says are yet to make an approach.
"We have had an offer from Aston Villa, but I do not want him to go," he said.
"But he is injured and he will have a couple of days off and I hope to take him to Germany on Wednesday for our training trip."
The England international, 23, did not play in Blackburn's pre-season victory at Macclesfield on Monday because of a calf problem picked up in training.
Bentley has made it clear that he wants to leave Blackburn and has also been linked Tottenham, who Ince says are yet to make an approach.
"We have had an offer from Aston Villa, but I do not want him to go," he said.
"But he is injured and he will have a couple of days off and I hope to take him to Germany on Wednesday for our training trip."
Why Man City must ditch Ronaldinho plan
Manchester City's pursuit of Ronaldinho has been an interesting sideshow to the summer of speculation - and for their sake let's hope it becomes nothing more than that.
The latest development, coming from a source that has proved almost 100% reliable on all matters Manchester City in recent weeks, is that an e-mail containing an offer for £22m has been sent to Barcelona, and no doubt very gratefully received.
Barcelona would presumably wrap Ronaldinho in cotton wool and supervise his safe arrival to the gates of Eastlands for that sort of cash.
Ronaldinho's arrival at Manchester City would undoubtedly cause a frenzy of interest, but what happens when the novelty wears off?
I, and many others, fall into the "believe it when I see it" category when it comes to the idea of Ronaldinho playing for Manchester City.
And while the notion of Ronaldinho plying his trade in the Premier League would have been a truly fanastic prospect two or three seasons ago, I genuinely believe AC Milan would be doing City a huge favour if they outflanked them on this deal.
What would City be getting for their vast transfer outlay and a wage packet that has been speculated upon as being around £200,000-a-week?
They would get someone who was once the world's greatest talent, but is now 28 and has to answer huge questions about his form, fitness and attitude.
The latest development, coming from a source that has proved almost 100% reliable on all matters Manchester City in recent weeks, is that an e-mail containing an offer for £22m has been sent to Barcelona, and no doubt very gratefully received.
Barcelona would presumably wrap Ronaldinho in cotton wool and supervise his safe arrival to the gates of Eastlands for that sort of cash.
Ronaldinho's arrival at Manchester City would undoubtedly cause a frenzy of interest, but what happens when the novelty wears off?
I, and many others, fall into the "believe it when I see it" category when it comes to the idea of Ronaldinho playing for Manchester City.
And while the notion of Ronaldinho plying his trade in the Premier League would have been a truly fanastic prospect two or three seasons ago, I genuinely believe AC Milan would be doing City a huge favour if they outflanked them on this deal.
What would City be getting for their vast transfer outlay and a wage packet that has been speculated upon as being around £200,000-a-week?
They would get someone who was once the world's greatest talent, but is now 28 and has to answer huge questions about his form, fitness and attitude.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Bentley is still a Rover - Nelsen
Blackburn Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen has said no-one at the club has a problem working with want-away midfielder David Bentley.
The England international requested a transfer at the end of last season as he wants to move to a bigger club.
"For us he's a team-mate and will be until the club decide otherwise," Nelsen, 30, told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"We understand where he's coming from and we understand he might stay at the club as well.
Villa complete Sidwell transfer
Aston Villa have made their first signing of the summer after Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell finalised his £5m move and signed a three-year deal.
The 25-year-old passed a medical on Thursday and is now expected to join Villa's pre-season tour of Switzerland.
"I am over the moon," Sidwell told the club's website. "It's taken a while but I'm looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and playing football.
Arsenal 'offer Adebayor to Milan'
AC Milan claim Arsenal are ready to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, a month after insisting he was not available.
The Gunners told Milan on 13 June that the striker, 24, was not for sale.
But Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani revealed the Gunners have since written to the Italian club to say they have changed their position.
Galliani told Italian TV station Antenna 3: "I have a letter from Arsenal that says 'we will consider a deal if it still interests you'."
However, the clubs still need to agree a fee, with Milan unwilling to meet Arsenal's £36m valuation of the Togo international.
Trezeguet lashes out at French manager
Former France striker David Trezeguet has lambasted Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech, reiterating that it was the the decision not to sack the coach that forced him to call time on his international career.
Trezeguet has been an ever present for his country for 10 years but has rarely seen eye to eye with Domenech and threatened to quit international football before, when he was overlooked for several of France's Euro 2008 qualifiers
The Juventus star did not carry out his threat and was recalled by Domenech for the friendly against England in March, but the France federation's decision to keep faith in their man led to Trezeguet's surprise announcement on Wednesday at the age of just 30.
'We are all conscious of the fact that Domenech is not at the level to be in charge of the France team,' Trezeguet told France sports daily L'Equipe. 'But no one carries out the consequences.
'We don't take into account the opinion of millions of people in France and old footballers, and I'm not talking about those of 1998.
'Michel Platini supported Domenech because he doesn't get on well with Didier (Deschamps - who was favourite to replace him). But it's the sporting side that counts.'
Trezeguet slammed Domenech's decision to omit him from France's Euro 2008 squad, despite stunning domestic form.
The Juve striker fired home 20 goals in Serie A last season, ending the campaign with only one less than the league's top goalscorer - team-mate Alessandro Del Piero - but was forced to watch from the sidelines as Les Bleus crashed out of the tournament at the group stage.
'At a certain time, to be in the France team implied that you were playing matches in your club and being at the top level,' added Trezeguet. 'That's what high class is.
'I have just had an exceptional year for my club. I should have been there, among the 23.'
Trezeguet has scored 34 goals in 71 international appearances and is third behind Thierry Henry and Platini in France's all-time list of goalscorers.
But, shocked at the decision not to sack Domenech, and at the coach's decision not to resign which he believes 'was an obligation', he has vowed never to pull on the France shirt again.
The striker has enjoyed huge highs but also severe lows with Les Bleus. He followed up a World Cup win in 1998 by firing home the winning goal against Italy in the Euro 2000 final.
However, Trezeguet will also be remembered for being the only player to miss his spot kick as France lost to Italy on penalties in the World Cup final two years ago.
Trezeguet has been an ever present for his country for 10 years but has rarely seen eye to eye with Domenech and threatened to quit international football before, when he was overlooked for several of France's Euro 2008 qualifiers
The Juventus star did not carry out his threat and was recalled by Domenech for the friendly against England in March, but the France federation's decision to keep faith in their man led to Trezeguet's surprise announcement on Wednesday at the age of just 30.
'We are all conscious of the fact that Domenech is not at the level to be in charge of the France team,' Trezeguet told France sports daily L'Equipe. 'But no one carries out the consequences.
'We don't take into account the opinion of millions of people in France and old footballers, and I'm not talking about those of 1998.
'Michel Platini supported Domenech because he doesn't get on well with Didier (Deschamps - who was favourite to replace him). But it's the sporting side that counts.'
Trezeguet slammed Domenech's decision to omit him from France's Euro 2008 squad, despite stunning domestic form.
The Juve striker fired home 20 goals in Serie A last season, ending the campaign with only one less than the league's top goalscorer - team-mate Alessandro Del Piero - but was forced to watch from the sidelines as Les Bleus crashed out of the tournament at the group stage.
'At a certain time, to be in the France team implied that you were playing matches in your club and being at the top level,' added Trezeguet. 'That's what high class is.
'I have just had an exceptional year for my club. I should have been there, among the 23.'
Trezeguet has scored 34 goals in 71 international appearances and is third behind Thierry Henry and Platini in France's all-time list of goalscorers.
But, shocked at the decision not to sack Domenech, and at the coach's decision not to resign which he believes 'was an obligation', he has vowed never to pull on the France shirt again.
The striker has enjoyed huge highs but also severe lows with Les Bleus. He followed up a World Cup win in 1998 by firing home the winning goal against Italy in the Euro 2000 final.
However, Trezeguet will also be remembered for being the only player to miss his spot kick as France lost to Italy on penalties in the World Cup final two years ago.
Real offer €20m for van der Vaart
Real Madrid have offered €20million to sign Hamburg midfielder Rafael van der Vaart for five seasons, Spanish sports daily Marca said.
The report comes one day after rival sports daily AS reported that the Spanish champions' cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid had offered €15 million for the 25-year-old Dutch international.
Real Madrid and the Dutch player are in 'total' agreement over the transfer, Marca reported without citing sources.
Last week Hamburg's new coach, Dutchman Martin Jol, said he was counting on the midfielder for the next season which gets underway in mid-August.
Van der Vaart, who joined Hamburg in 2005 and has a contract until 2010, has said that he would like to play in Spain.
'Spain is my preference because my mother Lolita is Spanish,' he told Focus magazine in January.
The player wanted to join Spanish side Valencia last season but the management of the German team refused to give the move the green light.
Benitez expresses interest in Keane
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has admitted he is considering a move for Ireland captain Robbie Keane after pulling out of the race for Valencia's David Villa.
Benitez wants another striker after agreeing to sell Peter Crouch to Portsmouth and had been linked with Villa and Keane.
Villa is valued at €40m and has already declared his desire to stay in La Liga, forcing Benitez to call off the chase for the Spaniard forward.
But Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to listen to offers for Keane and Benitez has put the Ireland star high on his transfer shopping list.
'We know Villa is a very good player, we know the price and we know the players we have, so when you consider everything we decided he was one of the names, but at this moment, not our target,' Benitez said.
'I said the other day that he is one of the names we had on our list, but I can say at this moment that it is not an option for us.
'Keane is one of the other names and okay we are still working with other names. We were in contact and we will see now.'
O'Callaghan seals move to Tranmere
George O'Callaghan has joined Tranmere Rovers from Cork City.
The 28-year-old midfielder has signed a two-year deal with the English League One side.
During his last spell in England, O'Callaghan played with Ipswich Town and spent time on loan at Brighton, before returning to Cork City.
Ronaldo: 'I am a slave'
In an utterance as remarkable as any he has issued this summer, Cristiano Ronaldo declared last night that he agreed with the Fifa president Sepp Blatter's assertion that Manchester United should stop treating him like a "modern-day slave" and release him to Real Madrid.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Madrid revels in Spanish triumph
Euro 2008 champions Spain have arrived home to a heroes' welcome from about one million ecstatic fans in Madrid.
They arrived at Madrid Barajas airport about 1840 BST in a plane with "Campeones" (champions) written on it.
They then paraded the Henri Delaunay trophy on an open-top bus on their way to a packed Plaza de Colon.
As the bus travelled down Madrid's main Paseo de la Castellana avenue the crowd chanted "Si, si, si la copa ya esta aqui" (yes, yes, the cup is now here).
The crowd also chanted "Luis quedate!" (Luis stay), in a plea to 69-year-old coach Luis Aragones to reverse his decision to quit.
Journalists travelling on the team plane said the players had also encouraged him to continue
They arrived at Madrid Barajas airport about 1840 BST in a plane with "Campeones" (champions) written on it.
They then paraded the Henri Delaunay trophy on an open-top bus on their way to a packed Plaza de Colon.
As the bus travelled down Madrid's main Paseo de la Castellana avenue the crowd chanted "Si, si, si la copa ya esta aqui" (yes, yes, the cup is now here).
The crowd also chanted "Luis quedate!" (Luis stay), in a plea to 69-year-old coach Luis Aragones to reverse his decision to quit.
Journalists travelling on the team plane said the players had also encouraged him to continue
Lampard wants to stay - Scolari
Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari says Inter Milan target Frank Lampard wants to stay at the London club.
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