Benni Wants Out of Ewood?!?!

Another day brings yet more speculation regarding the future of Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy.

In an in-depth interview in the Sun, McCarthy is quoted as saying as much as he has enjoyed his time with Rovers basically we can't offer him what he wants, so he would leave to sign for Chelsea, or any other Champions League club in England or Spain.

So here is what he told the Sun:

"I miss Champions League football. When I'm at home in the week watching the Champions League on TV and hear that music it makes me realise that there's a part of my football make-up that is missing.

"The challenge of being part of the best, playing against the best. Champions League football means everything to any footballer with ambitions.

"I've enjoyed playing for Blackburn - and the manager and his staff are first-class. The club is really friendly and professional.

"But at 29 years old, if a club like Chelsea comes looking for you then you must seriously consider the opportunity.

"Not necessarily from a financial perspective but from a point of view where you can win trophies and compete against the AC Milan's and Barcelona's of this world. I can only talk about things that are certain, not about maybes.

"But a chance to go to Chelsea - or any other Champions League team in England or Spain - would be hard to turn down."

The £2.5 million fee paid last season would almost certainly be at least doubled if we sold him in the summer, but with no need to do so (financially from out point) we would not be looking to. However, McCarthy (again allegedly) feels that he has repaid the clubs faith in him by bringing him to England with his goal, and this substantial fee would be reward.

He added:

"Blackburn gave me my chance and even though it was not a big transfer fee, I trust that I have already paid them back with my commitment and goals this season.

"If I end up being sold by Blackburn and they make a good profit, fantastic, they deserve it.

"The people at the club and the fans are great."

McCarthy has been linked with three of the top four clubs in this country (Arsenal the only one not linked with him) but a move to join forces again with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, with whom he worked with at Porto, has seemed the most likely, and appears his favoured move.

He finished by saying:

"Mourinho has coached me. We won things together and he really knows me inside out.

"If he ever were to sign me again, it would be because he knows exactly what he's getting and that I've managed to settle down in England quite quickly.

"It would be a big challenge to win a regular start in a club like Chelsea but why shouldn't I have confidence in my own abilities? I know I can compete with the best."

I know that things can be taken out of context but it's not looking too promising is it. This is something that I feared happening but then started to relax again, but maybe it is time for us to start thinking about who Sparky will buy to replace him this summer!

If McCarthy does go would I feel he has repaid the faith paid in him by the club? He's scored plenty of goals, and helped to again raise our profile as everyone around the world knows Benni McCarthy, but I would have to say NO!

I know it could probably be unfair to say this but repaying the faith the club showed in him would see him staying and make good on his early aspirations of what he wanted from the club. You can understand where he is coming from but if what he is all to often quoted as saying recently (and not just here) is true his early feeling had long since passed…


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