INTEREST in Mike Newell from Birmingham City boss Trevor Francis seems to have gone off the boil.

The First Division club first asked Blackburn Rovers about the striker a few weeks ago and were prepared to pay a fee of around £750,000 for him.

But Francis, who also had French ace Jean-Pierre Papin in his sights, is now believed to be looking elsewhere to strengthen his strike force ready for a promotion bid.

I understand Newell was not keen on the proposed move, even though Rovers - with an abundance of strikers - would probably have been prepared to release him.

But Francis, who has since been away on holiday, has shown no signs of trying to resurrect the deal since his return.

He is now being linked with a move for Middlesbrough's Jan Fjortoft, with the Norwegian international expected to leave the Riverside Stadium this summer, but that may just be speculation.

Meanwhile, one of the Sunday newspapers claimed yesterday that Andy Cole had met Rovers with a view to moving from Old Trafford to Ewood.

The speculation, not surprisingly, was described as "absolute garbage" by one Ewood official.

Cole's name was first mooted when the speculation over Alan Shearer's future reached its height.

He was said to be part of a multi-million pound exchange deal set up between the clubs.

But Rovers have no interest at all in the former Newcastle striker.

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