Blackburn battle to keep Duff

Blackburn Rovers face make-or-break contract talks with their Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff as Liverpool prepare to increase their £12m bid.

Liverpool's offer falls well short of Rovers' £20m valuation for a player they discovered and groomed. They had hoped to keep Duff for one more season at least, but they could be forced to sell if the player decides his future lies away from Ewood Park.

Manchester United have also been linked with Duff but are unlikely to enter the bidding if it goes higher, even with Dwight Yorke to offer in part-exchange.

As their £8.1m signing from Empoli, Massimo Maccarone, began pre-season training yesterday, Middlesbrough were readying themselves to sign the Nigerian World Cup player Justice Christopher to fill the gap left by Paul Ince.

The 20-year-old has met Boro officials about a bargain £600,000 move from the Belgian side Royal Antwerp, where he has been involved in a contract row. Christopher has been looking for a move to England, but Manchester City backed out of a deal for him when they signed Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foé.

There may be a complication, as the Bulgarian side Levski Sofia claim to have signed him already, which the young midfielder disputes. Boro are also chasing Paris St-Germain's Edouard Cissé, as well as the Brazilian Juninho.

Liverpool's understudy defender Djimi Traoré is on his way out of Anfield again, with Bordeaux lining up a one-year loan deal. Traore has just returned from a season in the French league with Lens, and they wanted him back. But now their rivals want to take Traore with a view to a permanent £1.5m switch.

Milan have completed the signing of Chelsea's Italian midfielder Sam Dalla Bona. The 21-year-old, who moved to England in 1998 at 17 from Atalanta's juniors, has signed until 2007. Milan have denied reports that their highly-rated youngster Marco Donadel was offered in a swap deal.

Sunderland have signed Tranmere's Sean Thornton. The 19-year-old was out of contract at Prenton Park.

The former Chelsea and Blackburn striker Roy Wegerle has failed to qualify for golf's Open Championship. The 37-year-old, who turned professional last year, hit a five-over-par 77 at Hadley Wood yesterday. With only eight of the 120 players going through to final qualifying, that was never going to be good enough.