• Premier League

Blackburn to be beaten to Formica deal

ESPN staff
January 24, 2011
Things have been going better for Steve Kean and Blackburn Rovers on the pitch than they have in the transfer market © PA Photos
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Blackburn Rovers look set to miss out on a deal to sign Mauro Formica, who is on the verge of agreeing a move to Monaco.

The Newell's Old Boys forward has been in demand during the January window, with Italian side Genoa and Turkish giants Galatasaray both believed to be interested in the 22-year-old. But the Ligue 1 side have reportedly used their former player Lucas Bernardi - who now also plays for Newell's - to persuade Formica to agree a transfer worth around £3 million to move to the Principality.

The news will be a disappointment to Blackburn manager Steve Kean, who admitted on Friday his interest in Formica and the difficulty the club have been having in the transfer window - including missing out on Birmingham City midfielder Sebastian Larsson.

"It's been a little bit frustrating,'' Kean said. "We had a bid for Seb Larsson and he's now not available so we'll respect Birmingham's decision and we move on.''

On Formica, he said: "That's gone a little bit quiet so I'm not really sure where we're at. That'll be picked up today [Friday] again and we'll see where we are with that.''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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