UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum
Kean backs Ronaldinho bidManager Steve Kean says Blackburn Rovers' ambitious bid for Brazil international Ronaldinho is a statement of intent. 
Anuradha Desai, chairman of Venky's - who took over at Ewood Park in November - has confirmed Rovers had made a £6.2m bid for the AC Milan forward.
And Kean believes it sends out the right message to other would-be targets.
"I know there has been contact made by the owners to representatives of Ronaldinho but I don't know how far down the line it is and whether it will actually happen," he said.
"If any Premier League manager was asked if they wanted to sign someone who has been World Player of the Year twice they would be interested.
"That is something that puts us on the map in terms of trying to bring players of that stature to the club.
"Everyone should look as it as a positive because if we can attract players - maybe not that individual if it doesn't happen - but players of that stature I think it has been a long time since we have been able to do that."
ENGLAND CAPTAINRovers are believed to have offered the 30-year-old Ronaldinho a three-year £20m-plus deal.
"He is keen to play in the EPL (English Premier League) and I think that goes in our favour," Desai said.
She stressed paying the Brazilian's wages would not be a problem.
"To be precise [it is] 7.6m euros (£6.5m) for the first year and about 8.5m euros (£7.2m) for the second and third years."
She also said the club had made attempts to sign former England captain David Beckham on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy, adding that the club were "open whenever he is ready to come".
GOOD THINKERDesai has also confirmed the club are planning a long-term future with Kean at the helm.
Kean was surprisingly handed the club's reins for the remainder of the season following Sam Allardyce's sacking last month.
Rovers have won one of his four games in charge and, despite losing 3-0 to Sunderland on New Year's Day, Blackburn's hierarchy are eager to extend his deal.
Desai is a big fan of Kean and believes he deserves a longer deal that will be "at least two to three years".
Desai added: "We're making a contract for him which is going to be a full-time contract. It's not just about this season.
"It's going to be a proper contract. At least two to three years.
"He thinks well. He has a vision. Mark my words, he thinks well. He's a good thinker. That's his biggest strength."
Courtesy of: premierleague.com
UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum
Santa Cruz rejoins BlackburnBlackburn Rovers have signed their former striker Roque Santa Cruz on loan from Manchester City. 
The Paraguay international has joined until the end of the season after struggling to make an impact at Eastlands since leaving Rovers in a £17.5m deal in summer 2009.
The 29-year-old, who scored 29 goals in two seasons at Ewood Park, is the club's first signing since their takeover by Indian firm Venky's in November.
Rovers confirmed the deal after the player completed a medical at the club's training ground on Friday morning.
BRING QUALITY
Manager Steve Kean said: "When he was here first time he had a fantastic time and showed his quality.
"I think he feels he has got a little bit of business to finish. Hopefully he will go and do that until the end of the season.
"He has got an infectious personality and was very popular here first time around. I'm sure he will be this time.
"He's coming back to a place that was special to him and I am sure he is going to deliver as good if not better."
Blackburn will pay the majority of Santa Cruz's salary and Kean believes that shows how serious Venky's are to bring top players to the club.
He said: "That is something that shows the fans we can now go and compete and we can see off other teams, not only in this country but abroad.
"It shows the ambitions of the owners to match these fees and salaries to bring quality to the club."
The agreement with City contains no provision for a potential permanent deal but Kean plans to continue negotiating in the hope of securing Santa Cruz's services long term.
He said: "We are trying to speak to Manchester City to see if there can be an option at the end of it.
"We'll ask for that and if we can get it, all the better."
REAL CHANCE
Santa Cruz has made just one Barclays Premier League appearance this season at City, where he has been behind Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and Emmanuel Adebayor in the pecking order.
His move has been hastened by City's signing of Edin Dzeko this month.
Kean said: "I don't think his medical fitness is an issue although his match sharpness might not be there because he has not played as many minutes as he would have hoped."
Santa Cruz jumped at the chance to return to Ewood Park and could be back in a Rovers shirt when Blackburn travel to Chelsea on Saturday.
The striker told the official club website: "I feel like I am coming home. This has been the easiest decision of my career.
"I want to get playing and scoring goals again and this is a real chance for me to prove myself after a frustrating period. Everyone knows what Blackburn Rovers means to me."
Courtesy of: premierleague.com
UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum
Rovers clinch Jones loanBlackburn Rovers have signed Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones on a six-month loan deal. 
The 29-year-old USA international becomes the club's second signing of the transfer window after the arrival of Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester City.
Manager Steve Kean told the club's official website: "He's a fantastic signing for us.
"Anybody who knows him as a player, he's a natural ball winner, he's a very good passer as well."
Kean added: "He's got a fantastic engine, he can go box-to-box, he's a genuine all round midfield player."
FRIENDLY APPEARANCESRovers will now await international clearance.
Jones, who was born in Frankfurt, made three friendly appearances for Germany before being cleared by FIFA to switch his allegiance to the United States in 2009.
Jones is eligible to play for the USA because his father is American. He made his debut for the country in October 2010.
The midfielder has been at Schalke since 2007, but has fallen out of favour with coach Felix Magath.
Courtesy of: premierleague.com
UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum
Jones aims to make an impressionJermaine Jones is set to make a low-key start for Blackburn Rovers after arriving from Schalke on loan. 
The United States international, who will represent the Ewood Park outfit until the end of the season, is to play in a closed-doors match to give manager Steve Kean an indication of whether he is ready to be included in the squad to face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Jones, 29, is keen to hit the ground running after a frustrating time in the Bundesliga.
"We have a friendly game and I will play 45 minutes. I need to do well also in training. Then the coach will make a decision," said Jones.
"I hope to play on Sunday against West Bromwich Albion and I hope to show the fans that I can play in England.
"I am not thinking about staying here at this moment, only getting games and showing what I can do.
"I can only say thank you to Blackburn for taking me for six months. Then we will make a decision."
BEST LEAGUEJones has also revealed that the last Barclays Premier League match he saw was Rovers defeating Liverpool 3-1 earlier this month.
The midfielder is an avid fan of the top flight, and once he heard of Rovers' interest in him, he had no hesitation in making the move to England.
Speaking to the club's official website, Jones said: "I'm really excited, I'm happy that I can play here for six months with Blackburn.
"I know that England is the best league and I've been watching a lot of games whilst I was with Schalke, in fact the last game I saw was Blackburn against Liverpool when Blackburn won 3-1 it was a good game.
"So when I hear that Blackburn want me, I said okay I go, I'll play in England for this good team.
"I've always watched a lot of Premier League games, I like the steel, I hope my game is suited to England."
Courtesy of: premierleague.com
UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum
Kean signs new contractManager Steve Kean has signed a long-term contract to remain as manager of Blackburn Rovers until 2013. 
The 43-year-old took over in a caretaker capacity following the sacking of Sam Allardyce in December, and was later given a contract until the end of the season.
However, Mrs Anuradha Desai, chairperson of club owners Venky's, had signalled the intention to give Kean a long-term deal earlier this month, and has now delivered.
Kean told the club's official website: "I am delighted to commit my future to Rovers at the start of what I see as a massively exciting new era for the club.
"The owners have shown great faith in me and I will do all I can to repay them.
"This is a great opportunity for me and I intend to grasp it with both hands."
CAPABLE HANDSKean first joined Rovers as first-team coach in 2009, but has quickly found himself thrust into the limelight, with Desai clearly impressed by what she has seen so far.
"We have great confidence in Steve, someone who impresses us with his work ethic, enthusiasm, positivity and football philosophy," she said.
"We feel that the playing squad is in very safe and capable hands and we look forward to working with him.
"Stability is very important to us and this contract is further evidence of our desire to achieve such stability at the club."
FANTASTIC GRIPRovers skipper Ryan Nelsen said: "It is fantastic news, it gives the club stability.
"It was a surprise when Sam Allardyce went but the owners have laid out their vision for the club and Steve has taken a fantastic grip of the helm.
"He is young and energetic and wants to do well as a manager. He will want to make his mark on the club.
"The rest of the season will be about stability and implementing small changes and then next season you will see a real DNA change and more of the vision for what the owners want.
"When you see their ambition, it is exciting."
EARNED PRAISEGlasgow-born Kean began his playing career with Celtic and had a stint on loan with Swansea City before moving to Portugal with Academica Coimbra where a broken leg forced him into coaching at the age of 27.
Kean returned to England to take charge of Reading's under-15 and under-16 sides and his success here earned him a promotion to head of youth by the then Royals manager Tommy Burns.
Fulham noticed Kean's talents and brought him to Craven Cottage and he moved up to become manager Chris Coleman's assistant after Jean Tigana left the club.
Kean provided much of the tactics and training drills for Coleman and he earned praise from Sir Alex Ferguson after he led Fulham to a 1-1 draw with Manchester United while Coleman was in hospital. He was Coleman's No.2 at Real Sociedad and Coventry City also.
A move to Blackburn followed where Allardyce appointed Kean first-team coach and Rovers have been quick to secure him on a long-term deal after an impressive start to his managerial career.
Courtesy of: premierleague.com
UK Best Bet Betting and Poker Forum
New deal for NelsenBlackburn Rovers defender Ryan Nelsen has signed a new contract with the club. 
The 33-year-old New Zealand international was contracted to Rovers until next year, but has now penned a new one-year extension which will keep him at Ewood Park until the summer of 2013.
Nelsen joined Blackburn from DC United in 2005 and has been a first-team regular throughout his stay, making in excess of 200 appearances for the club.
NO FAULTThe centre half is pleased to commit his future to Rovers and believes the club has a bright future under new manager Steve Kean and owners Venky's.
"It's been a crazy couple of weeks but our owners really have a vision in terms of how they see the club and they want to take it. It's very exciting," he said.
"They didn't have Sam [Allardyce] in their vision, he's paid the price through no fault of his own. But it could be really exciting for Blackburn."
Nelsen captained his country in last year's World Cup and, last month, was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to football.
Nelsen led the All Whites to three draws at the World Cup in South Africa and was named in the World Cup team of the tournament by an international football website.
Courtesy of: premierleague.com
