DION Dublin is just "one of many" players that Blackburn Rovers boss Roy Hodgson has looked at in his efforts to strengthen the Ewood squad.

And a Sunday newspaper report that Rovers had been involved in talks with Coventry City about the striker-cum-defender and were about to make a £5 million bid was played down by the manager.

Coventry boss Gordon Strachan also said: "It's news to me."

It is no secret that Hodgson, and his staff, have been scouring Europe in their search for new talent.

In fact the manager readily admitted that he watched games involving Ajax and Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund last week.

That is where other Sunday paper reports, linking Hodgson with moves for Dutchman Ronald de Boer and Dortmund's Swiss forward Stephane Chapuisat, stem from.

Dublin's name was also a fairly obvious one to throw into the pot, as Hodgson pointed out.

"As you know, we have been looking at front players as well as different types of players for I don't know how long," he said today.

"If we hadn't shown an interest in Dublin then we would probably have been the only club that hadn't, since it became known he was available. But his name is only one of many."

The manager said there was nothing imminent on the transfer front and, after his travels last week, he was concentrating on preparing the team for the next two vital Premiership games. Coventry have acknowledged their problems in holding onto Dublin, whose contract expires at the end of next season.

He has turned down an offer of new terms and then had the chance to join promotion-chasing Middlesbrough earlier this season, after the two clubs had agreed a fee believed to be around £4 million.

But that fell through when he rejected the move and further contract talks have since taken place at Highfield Road.

Dublin, 28, will be looking at his next contract as the big one, although it will not just be about money.

The player will also want to taste some success and, with Coventry still in with a chance of reaching the FA Cup semi-finals, any interested clubs might find it difficult to tempt him away just yet.

Hodgson has monitored a number of players and, of course, tried to sign Pierluigi Casiraghi from Lazio.

But the Italian suddenly struck scoring form and Lazio had a rethink about letting him go.

Another Serie A striker in whom Rovers maintain a watching brief is Argentine Hernan Crespo at Parma whose position was thought to be under threat when Tino Asprilla moved back to Italy from Newcastle. Crespo, in his early 20s, could yet come to the fore again as an end-of-season target. He scored the winner for Parma against Inter Milan at the weekend.

Hodgson has only recently stressed the need for patience as Rovers fans look for the club to buy.

It is not easy for him to find players to improve on those he already has at Ewood and he believes that most of the Premiership's leading clubs are in a similar position.

The transfer deadline falls in the last week of this month and it remains to be seen whether Rovers move before that, or wait until the summer.

With a lengthy break coming up after this week's trips to Leeds (Wednesday) and Everton (Saturday), Hodgson believes it is an ideal opportunity to get everyone fit and ready for the run-in.

Both Rovers A and B team games were postponed because of the weather on Saturday.

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