Souness desperate to stop Duff leaving Rovers

GRAEME SOUNESS has come out fighting as he bids to keep Damien Duff from quitting Blackburn for Chelsea.

The new-look Blues have had two huge offers for the Irish winger rejected, with both falling short of the reported £17million which would trigger a release clause in his contract.

The Londoners are yet to return with an improved bid, and Souness says the only way the 24-year-old will leave Ewood Park is if Roman Abramovich stumps up the asking price. Souness said: "It's a simple situation. The clause triggers the possibility of him going but we're desperate to hold on to him. We have no intention of selling him and we want to keep him here. But when Damien signed his new contract last summer he did so in the knowledge that someone could come in and offer a lot of money. We don't want to lose Damien under any circumstances but we are realists."