Blackburn Rovers' interest in the hard man of France, Patrick Valery, was cooling today.

Valery was the latest Rovers target to jet in for secret talks this week.

But it now appears that Roy Hodgson is set to turn his sights elsewhere on the continent.

And that is further indication that England full back Graeme Le Saux has played his last game for the club.

The 27-year-old Frenchman was at Brockhall on Monday to meet Tony Parkes and chairman Robert Coar.

Valery is out of contract at French club Bastia and would have cost nothing under the Bosman ruling.

He is described as a fast and aggressive wing back and was booked an amazing 17 times in the last French season, as well as being sent off.

The player started his career at Monaco in 1988 and played under Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

After a short spell on loan to Toulouse, he moved to Bastia in a low key transfer.

It is unlikely that new Ewood boss Roy Hodgson would be concentrating his efforts on that position unless he expects Le Saux to move on.

And reports in Italy today indicated that Italian champions Juventus had stepped up their interest in the England wing back.

The troubled Blackburn Rovers defender is reported to be one of Marcello Lippi's major close-season targets.

But in an amazing twist, Le Saux could be a target for the man who rejected Rovers - Sven Goran Eriksson.

"Eriksson received regular reports from Blackburn after first agreeing to go to England and Le Saux was perhaps the most prominent player," said a Lazio source.

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