FERGIE IN FOR BIG CISSE?

Cisse was at Ewood to watch United, as some readers will have noticed the Forum’s “Fuz” said he would be. From the MEN:

The wunderkind of French football, Djibril Cisse, has sparked fresh speculation that he could be the man to fill Manchester United’s vacant number 9 shirt after being sighted taking in the Reds’ defeat at Ewood Park.

Cisse was reportedly invited to sample the game by United’s French veteran defender Laurent Blanc, who used to play for Cisse’s current club Auxerre.

With Sir Alex Ferguson still casting around for a new frontman to ease the burden to give him his fabled four strikers option, Cisse – rated in the £10m bracket – could be the man the manager is looking for, and his presence at the game on Sunday will only add further fuel to the speculation.

However, United are also being linked with Sunderland’s highly rated 20-year-old David Bellion, who is out of contract at the Stadium of Light this summer.

Bellion, a countryman of Cisse, has turned down offers of a new contract on Wearside despite scoring just one Premiership goal, and his current situation has alerted a host of top clubs to his availability.

His manager Howard Wilkinson admitted that the Parisian-born player had rejected a new deal, telling the Daily Express: “A contract has been offered but he has chosen not to accept it. His immediate future is at the Stadium of Light”.