Rovers reject Chelsea's third Duff bid

Blackburn have rejected Chelsea’s latest bid for Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff.

The London club are understood to have offered an improved figure after two previous bids were rejected by Rovers.

The latest offer is not thought to have reached the £17m (€24m) figure needed to trigger an escape clause in Duff’s contract.

Rovers chief executive John Williams said: “We received the third bid last evening and have today rejected it.”

Duff is one of the most sought-after players in the Barclaycard Premiership; Liverpool tried to sign him but were put off by the fee and Manchester United have also been linked with him.

In a phone call last night Chelsea did offer £17m (€24m) but only with add-ons, and that was not enough to trigger the release clause.

Williams told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: “Chelsea made a new offer last night. It’s a very substantial offer in the current climate but it still falls short of what we require.

“However, the whole issue is of great significance to the club and I am rightly and properly duty bound to discuss this with not only my colleagues on the board but the club’s major shareholders in Jersey as well.”

Williams added: “Even if Chelsea did get to the figure negotiated in his contract then we would hope Damien would want to stay with us.

“There’s a massive financial up side to selling him which can never be underestimated in the post-Jack Walker era.

“But our football instinct currently prevails and we don’t want him to go.

“We know Chelsea can entice Damien with the lure of Champions League football but we want him to stay here and try and achieve that with us.”