Duff can Kop out for £20million
Last updated : 23 July 2002 By Dave Maddock, The Mirror
GRAEME Souness last night slapped a £20million price tag on Liverpool target Damien Duff.
The Blackburn boss fired the opening shots in what is clearly going to be a grim battle for the services of the Irish winger, by insisting that the player should be worth more than Rio Ferdinand.
Liverpool switched their attention to Duff after pulling out of a £9million deal for Leeds's Lee Bowyer.
Souness confirmed that he has already had two offers for Duff, but dismissed them out of hand as far too low.
He said: "We have had two offers, and I would not blame clubs for making offers - he is a very good player - but it is going to take £20m-plus to get him out of here.
"The bottom line is that we don't want to sell Damien, and unless we get a ridiculous offer then he will be playing for us next year and the year after that."
Blackburn want a major fee for their star asset and Souness insisted that his player's value should match that of Manchester United signing Ferdinand.
He said: "If Rio is worth £30m, then it must be the same for Duff. Traditionally, strikers who score and create goals bring in more money than defenders, so maybe Damien is worth more than Ferdinand.
"What I do know, is that we don't want to sell, so there's no way he'll be leaving here cheaply."
Liverpool, though, are still confident of making the Irishman their fifth signing of the summer, even if they have to smash their transfer record.
But they would not want to splash out any more than £15m for Duff.
