RAY Harford is continuing to scour Europe in a bid to bring new blood to Ewood Park.

Italy has again come under the Blackburn Rovers manager's scrutiny and, at the weekend, the club had representatives watching games in both Holland and Norway.

And I believe they have also been making inquiries in Spain.

Rovers themselves are also being regularly contacted by agents both at home and abroad who are aware of the situation.

They know the club have a lot of money at their disposal and would like to help them spend it!

But it is vital that, when Rovers do go into the market with the money received for Alan Shearer, they use it wisely.

Italian clubs, having bought big during the pre-season period when transfers are permitted, are ready to unload some of the players who cannot claim a regular place in their sides.

Agents are active too and I understand that Rovers have been contacted with regard to a couple of Inter Milan players. Marco Branca, who scored twice for Inter in their Milan friendly with Manchester United at the end of July, is available.

The 31-year-old striker joined Inter from Roma last November and has an impressive scoring record. Maurizio Ganz is another player that Inter might well be prepared to unload, as their first team striking positions are already taken up.

There is fierce competition at Inter with ex-Real Madrid star Ivan Zamorano recognised as the number one striker after four seasons in Spain. The Chilean is likely to be regularly partnered this winter by Nwankwo Kanu, the youngster signed from Ajax for £5.5 million, or Youri Djorkaeff who was snapped up from Paris St Germain for £6 million.

Inter have a wealth of attacking talent on the staff.

Ganz, for example, was formerly with Atalanta and, after one season with them in Serie B, he was signed by Inter where he scored 13 goals in 32 appearances last year.

But neither Branca nor Ganz would really seem to fit the bill, as Rovers are looking for first-choice strikers, not players who can't get into their own teams at the moment.

Meanwhile, manager Ray Harford is concentrating his attention on tomorrow night's home game against Leeds United, when Rovers will be looking for their first win of the new season.

They have had a lot of players away on international duty, goalkeeper Shay Given returning from a successful trip with the Republic of Ireland side with a dead leg.

Colin Hendry needed a scan on a niggling groin problem last week, before being declared fit to play for Scotland in Austria, but no serious damage was discovered.

So he is expected to be fit to face Leeds tomorrow.

But Kevin Gallacher, who has a strain at the top of his thigh could be a doubt, and it is too soon yet for Jason Wilcox to be considered for the team which played so well against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the last match.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.