By Ade O`Connor
July 18 2003

Damien Duff’s proposed move to Chelsea may have hit a snag, as close associates to Duff believe he does not wish to leave the Lancashire area. Up until now Manchester United have kept clear of the bidding, but this latest hint from the Duff camp may entice them into bidding for the Ireland player. Chelsea put in three unopposed bids for Duff, and was only accepted when they met the £17m fee written into a contract signed by the player 12 months ago with Rovers.

Alex Ferguson may be cautious on bidding so much for a player to play on the left side of midfield, as Manchester United already have Ryan Giggs at their disposal.

However, Duff has proven more than handy up front for the Republic of Ireland under Mick McCarthy, and Ferguson may see him as the ideal partner for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The centre of the wish to stay in Lancashire bizarrely is Damien Duff’s passion for sleeping. It is rumoured that he fears he will not have enough sleeping time should he move down to the bright lights of London.

The current Blackburn Rovers player has brought a refreshing taste of humanity amongst all the cash being splashed around by Chelsea chairman Roman Abramovic, and this new revelation adds a further twist to the transfer.

Chelsea still remains in pole position to land the 24 year old however, with Manchester United still bidding to gain Ronaldinho of Paris Saint Germain.