CHRIS SUTTON today poured cold water on continuing speculation that he is about to pack his bags and head elsewhere, writes PETER WHITE.
Liverpool and other clubs, including Newcastle and Bolton, have been linked with Blackburn Rovers' £5 million striker who was top scorer last season.
And, here in Sweden, journalists ask all the time if he is now to be sold because of Martin Dahlin's arrival.
But, after scoring his first goal of Rovers' pre-season tour against Norrkoping with a perfect penalty, Sutton declared: "I just don't know where it's all coming from.
"I finally feel as though Ihave got my fitness back, it's an exciting time with a new manager here and I think he will make a big difference.
"But all I am being asked about is the transfer speculation.
"I suppose it has happened just because we have another striker who has joined the club and we now have a lot of competition for places.
"But surely that's good for the club, that's how it should be.
"I just don't know where it has all come from, all I am doing is building up to the first game of the season against Derby and aiming to be 100 per cent.
"Hopefully I will then be in the team.
"Obviously, you never know what is going to happen next in football, but I know nothing about this speculation.
"As far as I am concerned I am settled at the club and my family is settled in the area. We really like it." Liverpool's failure to sign Fabrizio Ravanelli and search for a replacement for Stan Collymore is bound to put top names such as Sutton in the frame.
A bid can never be ruled out but Sutton is more concerned with concentrating on being ready for the big kick off with Rovers and this is going to be a big season for him.
When he first arrived in 1994 from Norwich as the British record signing, long since beaten, he had an immediate impact.
The SAS - Sutton and Shearer - was born and led Rovers to the title.
But his last two seasons have been unluckily dogged by injury and illness.
Even so, he fought his way back from various problems last winter to finish as Rovers' top scorer on 12 goals.
And he has looked lean and hungry in the first half of the pre-season build-up.
No one yet knows who will get the vote to start in attack under Roy Hodgson when the Premiership begins on August 9.
But, presumably, Dahlin will play. The question is who will be his partner?
While Sutton continues his pre-season preparations with the Rovers squad here in Sweden, Paul Warhurst is expected to have talks with Crystal Palace manager Steve Coppull over the next two days.
A fee of £1.25 million has been agreed between the clubs and Warhurst, after talks with Palace chairman Ron Noades, wanted to discuss the move with Coppull before making a decision. Palace are due back from their close season tour of Scandinavia today.
Argentine star striker Gabriel Batistuta - a subject of previous Rovers interest - cut short his holiday back home to fly to Italy last night to thrash out his future with Fiorentina.
"I want to get things settled before the season starts - and if they don't want me then perhaps Barcelona do," he said. Batistuta has again been left out of the Argentine squad for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Venezuela, meanwhile.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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