Kean clings to hope of Ronaldinho deal

(AP)

Despite all evidence to the contrary, Blackburn Rovers' caretaker manager Steve Kean maintains that Ronaldinho could still become an acquisition at Ewood Park this month.

Ronaldinho is on the verge of returning to Brazil to play for Gremio yet Kean is still publicly declaring that a move for the Milan playmaker could go ahead. Speaking at Rovers' frozen and windswept training ground before today's home FA Cup tie with Queens Park Rangers, the attractions of Blackburn over Brazil seemed few and far between yet until Ronaldinho's move to Gremio is officially formalised, Kean will remain hopeful.

"The information we got back on Thursday from the agency that looks after him was that he would consider the UK," he said. "It seemed to be slipping away – but you can only react to that information because we thought he was heading back to Brazil.

"Milan have said they will consider him going anywhere. A few days ago the agency said he would go back to Brazil. So it seemed to go the wrong way but now we're told he would consider it. I'm trying to get the player to commit to come over and speak to us and then to deal with his club.

"We are trying to get a formula that first of all satisfies his current club and then see if the player is actually fully committed to coming here. I don't know if he would go anywhere, but we can only react to it and see if we can take it to the next stage."

The notion that Ronaldinho would consider Blackburn remains extremely fanciful for some, as does Kean's publicised interest in David Beckham, and Rovers' interim manager all but admitted defeat in his quest to bring the former England captain back to the north-west. Kean said: "That one has gone quiet. I don't think he's going to be coming to the north-west so that rules us out. If we don't get either of these two I don't think there'd be another marquee signing."