Duff's advisor Pat Devlin said yesterday: "At this point in time, there is only one decision to be made by Damien - whether to move to Chelsea or stay with Blackburn.
"Blackburn have had an offer from only one club - Chelsea.
"There has been no offer or contact from anyone else and, at this stage, the likelihood is that it is not going to happen.
"It is silly for people to be saying Damien should go to Manchester United because that has not been presented to him as an option.
"Chelsea is the option on offer and we are forging on with that."
Devlin is quoted a bit later in the day: "He isn’t a Chelsea player until he signs that form immaterial of whether he does a medical or whether he does high jumps or anything else. If by doing a medical he was committing himself to Chelsea he wouldn’t be doing it, simple as that. It’s not that straightforward."
The Screws of the World quote a 'source close to Duff': "United are the team Damien is going to join next season. It's imminent - it's happening."
This from The Sunday People: We have learned that Ferguson knows of Duff's dream but sent the word that he is not in a position to move just now.
In top-secret behind-the-scenes moves Duff tried to establish whether Manchester United would be interested, the answer came back - but it was not what he wanted.
This from The Sunday Times:
Devlin dismissed suggestions that they were waiting to see the outcome United’s deliberations with Ronaldinho and hoping to sway Ferguson, who is said by sources to be "still interested" in Duff, into making a move. "Everybody who comes from Ireland have their tradition of Man United and Liverpool and that’s what they want to look at," said Devlin. "In a sense we’re brainwashed with that. If a new club comes in like Chelsea it’s a different ball game." Since Chelsea made their fourth offer for Duff on Wednesday and talks between the parties commenced a day later, there has been much speculation that Duff — an old-fashioned winger and a man of simple tastes who loves the pace of life in the north of England — would not fancy living in the heart of London and that Chelsea, with the reputation of their notorious ‘Headhunters’ gang for racism and violence, was no place for a Republic of Ireland player to be.
As reports filtered through yesterday afternoon that Ronaldinho was on his way to Barcelona to confirm his signature for the Catalan club, it was time for Ferguson to act swiftly if Duff was his next intended target. But it is Chelsea who have the head start.