Soccer: Blackburn are still trying to persuade Millwall midfielder Steven Reid to move to Ewood Park after a late attempt by Portsmouth to hijack the move.
Rovers had agreed a fee of around £2.5 million with Millwall last week for the Republic of Ireland international, but Premiership newcomers Portsmouth have now made a bid themselves.
The 22-year-old was understood to have travelled to Blackburn yesterday for talks.
"We are not counting our chickens with Steven Reid," Rovers chief executive John Williams. "That would be a big mistake.
"We'll go about this like we would with any other transfer and try and persuade him that this is the right club to join."
Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric said he would not get dragged into a bidding war.
"We are working very hard on a deal and we believe we've got as good a chance of getting him as Blackburn, but we don't want to get into a bidding auction with Blackburn."
Ciccio Grabbi, the Italian striker who has endured an awful two years at Blackburn since joining for £6.75 million, could be moving to Russian side Torpedo Moscow.
"His agent has told us that there's someone interested in taking him to Russia," Williams said.
"They might want him on loan or they might want to buy him, but we'd be interested in talking to anyone who"s interested in talking to Ciccio."
Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Chelsea did try to sign Juan Sebastian Veron.
In two seasons at Old Trafford since his £28.1 million move from Lazio, the Argentinian international has been an enigmatic presence in Ferguson's side.
"Yes, there was a situation where Chelsea tried to buy him," Ferguson said yesterday. "I left it to him and he wants to stay and that's good."
Although Ferguson admitted cash-rich Chelsea did make a concerted bid to sign the midfielder, United chief executive Peter Kenyon claimed he had received nothing from the Stamford Bridge outfit in the way of a formal offer.
Meanwhile, Diego Forlan is hoping his second-half double in Manchester United's 3-1 win over Mexican outfit Club America will finally persuade Ferguson he is worth a regular place in the starting line-up.
The Uruguayan recovered from a 27-game barren streak following his £7 million move from Independiente 18 months ago to grab nine crucial goals in United's surge to the Premiership title last term.
And in the LA Coliseum yesterday, the 24-year-old gained his reward for a performance packed with endeavour and commitment by grabbing the brace which maintained United's 100 per cent tour record after Ruud van Nistelrooy had opened the scoring with his customary goal 60 seconds after the break.
"You can't afford to let your confidence drop just because you miss a chance," said Forlan, who had failed with a couple of first-half efforts before meeting Quinton Fortune's cross with a firm header to double United's lead three minutes after Van Nistelrooy's strike.
"I kept working hard as I always try to do, but the goals give you a better feeling.
"I have been a substitute many times since I have been with United, but all you can do is wait for your chance and then take it."
Ferguson insists he has never lost faith in Forlan despite overlooking him so often.
"Diego scored some really important goals for us last season and made a major contribution to winning the title.
"The problem was that in the run-in to the championship Ruud hit a vein of form which was incredible.
"Playing Ruud up front, with either Ryan or Paul just behind, proved beneficial for us.
"I didn't want to change it so Diego suffered for the form of the team. But he is only 24 and will improve."
Ferguson confirmed that injured trio Gary Neville (hamstring), Paul Scholes (groin) and Roy Keane (thigh) were only suffering from minor niggles and should be available for Thursday's encounter with Champions League runners-up Juventus in New York.
