BLACKBURN Rovers today hit back at speculation linking Real Madrid with a sensational swoop for Damien Duff.

A story in one of the weekend tabloids claimed the Spanish giants are ready to snatch Duff from under the nose of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

But Ewood chief executive John Williams insists there has been no contact from Madrid and he's not expecting any.

"There has been absolutely no contact between us and Real Madrid," said Williams, who was back at his desk this morning after a two-week break.

"They've not made any attempts whatsoever to contact Blackburn so I don't know where this has come from."

The story -- which appeared in yesterday's News of the World -- claimed new Madrid boss Carlos Queiroz was behind the move to take Duff to the Bernabeu.

But after recently splashing out £25 million on David Beckham, it's unlikely the new La Liga champions would be prepared to cough up a further £15 million to land the Republic of Ireland international, especially when they already have Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane in midfield.

Duff has also been linked with a multi-million pound move to Liverpool but the Anfield giants now appear to have switched their attentions to Leeds United's Harry Kewell instead.

Reds boss Gerard Houllier has spent the last 18 months tracking Duff but his team's failure to qualify for the Champions League appears to have priced him out of the running.

He is now being tipped to turn to Kewell instead, who could be available for a cut-price £7 million, as he only has a year left to run on his current contract.