Bryan
Richardson, Coventry City’s chairman, has firmly quashed speculation that star
striker Robbie Keane is on his way to Inter Milan in a £10 million deal.
A national newspaper reported that Inter’s coach Marcello Lippi was a huge fan of
the young Irishman and that the Italian giants were preparing an offer which would be £4
million more than Coventry paid Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this season.
But Richardson said there had been no contact with Inter and in any event Keane would
not be leaving Coventry City.
He also denied another element of the speculative story that Inter had first refusal to
buy Keane when the time arrived.
Richardson said:
"No one has first refusal. There is no clause or option in Robbie’s contract
to that effect. He is going nowhere. I am trying to build a team not dismember it.
"We want to fill Highfield Road and when we move to the new stadium we want to
fill that as well. The only way to do that is by having a successful team."
The chairman also confirmed he will be in top level talks with the president of the
Belgian club Ghent tonight, to try to resolve the conflict over Cedric Roussel’s
transfer fee.
The 21 year old striker, who has impressed with his early appearances for Coventry
while on loan from Ghent, says he wants to play for the club on a permanent basis.
But it is rumoured that the two clubs are a long way apart on agreeing a price. Ghent
are said to want £4 million for a player who could not get into their first team, while
Coventry are not prepared to go above £1.5 million.
