BLACKBURN Rovers today played down talk of a second swoop on German outfit Kaiserslautern after being linked with a move for promising young midfielder Rainer Hauck.

According to reports in the national Press this morning, Rovers boss Graeme Souness is ready to raid the Bundesliga club again with a bid for the 24-year-old starlet just days after signing his team-mate Sebastien Pelzer.

However, sources at Ewood have denied the story insisting Hauck is not a name which features high on Souness's summer shopping list.

As I understand it, the Ewood chief is on the look-out for at least one midfielder to bolster his squad ahead of the new season however.

And both he and John Williams are closing in on a possible target as the transfer merry-go-round begins in earnest once more now that the World Cup is coming to an end.

As we revealed earlier in the summer, Coventry City midfielder David Thompson is among the list of possible targets.

But so far Rovers' hopes of luring him to Ewood in a £3 million deal have fallen on deaf ears with City boss Gary McAllister trying to hold out for a fee nearer £4.5 million.

However, the club's crippling debts could yet prompt the Midlands club to drop their asking price as the summer draws on with Manchester City, Everton and Aston Villa all thought to be interested.

Coventry chairman Mike McGinnity said: "We've had plenty of offers for Thommo but none have so far come anywhere near our valuation of the player."

The Sky Blues are also looking to off-load Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman to Espanyol in a bid to reduce their wage bill.

But £5 million striker Lee Hughes's anticipated return to West Brom now looks doomed according to reports in the national Press because of his £17,000-a-week wage demands.

Meanwhile, Rovers' duo Tugay and Hakan Unsal suffered World Cup heartache yesterday as Turkey crashed out of the World Cup finals at the hands of Brazil.

The Turks were hoping to secure their first ever appearance in the World Cup final but lost 1-0 in their semi-final after a goal from Ronaldo kept Brazil on course for a record fifth triumph.