JUVE NOT IN FOR KEANE

The hopes Roy Keane may have held of an offer from Juventus appeared to be fading badly yesterday as further communication with the Turin club failed to produce any firm offer that could be put to the player later this week. The 34-year-old's advisors are hoping to give Keane a list of options within the next few days from which he can make a decision.

While Juventus were widely linked with the player over the weekend, the only Italian club that have made an enquiry about Keane's demands are Roma who are waiting on a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne to lift a transfer embargo on them.

That would allow Roma to make a move for Keane in January. There is also believed to have been an approach to the Internazionale president, Massimo Morratti, who signed Paul Ince from Manchester United 10 years ago and has always been a keen suitor of Sir Alex Ferguson's players.

The Qatar side Al-Ghalrafa, who recently released Marcel Desailly, are one of the few who could match Keane's wage demands but the midfielder is understood to favour a club that could offer him the chance to develop his coaching career.

He has been sounded out over a possible move to Portsmouth, whose manager Alain Perrin is now understood to be on his way out, although that offer is not believed to appeal to the player at the moment.

Sam Allardyce at Bolton said:

"I am sure he will sit down in a day or two and discuss with his agent where he wants to go. But if we do get an opportunity, we would like to talk to him."

Meanwhile the Evening Standard links United to Fulham’s Papa Bouba Diop.