Blackburn boss Paul Ince has put out a firm hands-off warning for his forward Roque Santa Cruz. It is understood that several Premiership clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton and Chelsea are all the long list of interested parties for the player.

Paul Ince has revealed that Santa Cruz has not made any indication that he is keen on leaving the club.

Ince quipped: “People keep telling me that he’s leaving. But Roque’s not told me yet! ‘We had a fans’ forum the other day where he told everybody that it was all speculation and a load of rubbish.

“But, because of the situation we are currently in, the vultures are circling. They think they can nick your best players. But that isn’t going to happen.”

Should Santa Cruz decide to pack his bags though, it is believed a fee of around 15 million GBP could be enough to see the player move on.