PARMA are believed to be considering a move for Blackburn Rovers' out-of-favour Swedish forward Niklas Gudmundsson.

And that could revive the career of a player who has been unable to make any impact on the first team scene at Ewood.

It would be rather ironic, however, if Gudmundsson got a move to Italy - at a time when Rovers are scouring that country for attacking talent!

I understand the Italian giants have had representatives take a look at Gudmundsson in reserve team action.

The player himself is anxious to play regular first team football to try to get his international career going again. Earlier this season he went back home to play for the Swedish B team, even though it meant being unavailable for a Premiership fixture. He felt he needed to make an impression on the national coach.

In any case, he has only been in the 16 once for Rovers this season.

Signed from Halmstads for £800,000 last March, after an extended loan period, Gudmundsson's single brief appearance as a substitute in the Premiership since the start of the season came in the home defeat by Derby.

And he only started one senior game last season, to go with three appearances as sub.

Meanwhile, as speculation continues over manager Ray Harford's future, one Sunday newspaper claimed he had made a "secret" trip to Barcelona last week, prompting suggestions that he might be considering linking up with Bobby Robson. The truth of the matter is - that chairman Robert Coar went with him.

And I can reveal the real reason why they were in Spain. It was to meet representatives of Udinese about Oliver Bierhoff.

The family who own the Italian club have major business interests in Barcelona and that's why it was the venue for discussions over the striker.

It was also claimed Rovers have had secret talks with Howard Kendall about the possibility of returning to the club.

But that too is wide of the mark.

And, after Saturday's match, Sheffield United manager Kendall made as forthright a statement as possible on his future.

He said he wanted to kill any speculation, which first cropped up with regard to Manchester City, stone dead. "I am going nowhere," he said. "I love the club."

But the Sunday newspaper concerned, in the past three weeks, has linked three different managers with Ewood - before Kendall it was George Graham, then Terry Venables.

Although Rovers failed again to win against Everton on Saturday, George Donis scored a superb first Premiership goal.

Injury-hit Preston could be interested in taking young striker James Beattie on loan to help ease their crisis. Beattie has had a couple of days training at Deepdale recently and a loan move might be good experience for him.

Rovers A team drew 1-1 at Tranmere, with a goal from Adam Reed. The B team lost 2-1 at home to Oldham, with Lee Owler on target. I have got a great chairman and I have a job to do."

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