WITH formal links across Europe, North America and South America, Kentaro and the SEM group have a wide range of contacts throughout the world of football.

The two companies signed a corporate partnership deal in February 2009 and it is that union that is now playing a key role at Blackburn Rovers as advisors to new owners Venky’s.

Football agent Jerome Anderson founded the Sport Entertainment and Media Group in 1984 and significantly was alongside the Rao brothers when they watched Rovers for the first time against Chelsea in late October.

SEM represents several leading footballers across Europe as well as a number of media personalities – among them Rio Ferdinand and former boxer Lennox Lewis, who fronted a photo-shoot for the new Venky’s Xpress shop in Britain last week.

The company facilitated Geovanni’s switch from Cruzeiro to Manchester City and Kris Boyd’s move from Rangers to Middlesbrough, with both having since been recommended to Sam Allardyce as possible January signings.

Anderson has previously been involved with a number of transfers at Arsenal and there were echoes of his current role at Rovers when he teamed up with Kentaro to advise Thaksin Shinawatra during his takeover of Manchester City.

SEM oversaw six of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s nine signings during Shinawatra’s season at the helm, including Elano, Valeri Bojinov and Gelson Fernandes.

Anderson’s company was also involved in Stephen Warnock’s moves to and from Rovers and transfers for players such as John Obi Mikel, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy, Tuncay and Davor Suker.

The link-up with the powerful Kentaro brings further intrigue to the pair’s involvement with Venky’s and Rovers.

Kentaro has a wealth of experience in the sports media industry and has taken a consultancy role on several occasions in recent years for investors putting money into major football clubs.

The sports agency is a major player in the international market for football TV rights, working with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal as well as more than 25 national associations.

It marketed the TV rights for more than 250 matches in the build-up to the World Cup – including 90 per cent of the qualifiers in South America.

Kentaro has represented both Argentina and Brazil and has been involved in the organisation of many of their friendly games in Europe in recent years.

Among those was Argentina’s 2008 friendly in Scotland – the first game in charge for Diego Maradona, who has been linked with the Rovers job.

Kentaro also has a deal with the FA until 2012 for many of the international TV rights for the England national team, the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

There can be no doubt that Kentaro and SEM have a vast network.

How they choose to use it could yet determine where Blackburn Rovers go from here.