Soccer: Blackburn Rovers are still waiting to discover if Chelsea will match their £17 million asking price for Damien Duff.

Chelsea have made Duff a top transfer target and have had two bids rejected for the Republic of Ireland winger.

The two offers were £13 million and £15 million - now Blackburn are bracing themselves for a third and final offer from new Stamford Bridge owner Roman Abramovich.

But Blackburn are under no financial pressure to sell and Chelsea will need to meet their demand for £17 million to activate a release clause in Duff's contract.

Rovers chief executive John Williams said: "We have received two offers and we have rejected them. There has been no further contact." Williams admitted the bids were "close" to the figure that would allow Chelsea to open talks with Duff.

Duff negotiated a release clause in his contract when he signed a new four-year deal at Blackburn last season.

The Rovers chief executive continued: "It depends how serious Chelsea are about wanting to sign him. There is a release clause in the contract he negotiated last year.

"If conditions are met with the bid naturally we would be obliged to let Damien talk to Chelsea - or any other club who met them - and the decision would rest with the player.

"There has been intense press speculation and I don't think it's fair to talk about the amounts (of the bids). But a very serious bid has been made and rejected - and we want the player to stay."

Blackburn boss Graeme Souness said he was not surprised at the amount of interest in Duff.

"If we are offered a lot of money for Damien then it's going to be very hard to keep him," said Souness.

"We don't want to sell him under any circumstances but at the same time we have got to be realistic. There is a clause in his contract which will be triggered if the right offer comes in. But we don't want to see him leave - far from it."

The London club have money to spend in the transfer market following the takeover at Stamford Bridge by Russian billionaire Abramovich. A host of other top players from around Europe have been linked with Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Gerard Houllier has sought to personally underline Liverpool's insistence that Steven Gerrard is not for sale at any price.

Liverpool were rocked at the weekend by reports that Chelsea were considering a £50 million bid for the England midfielder.

But Anfield boss Houllier - currently with his squad training in Switzerland - claimed yesterday: "He's happy at Liverpool and doesn't want to play for anyone else.

"Steven is progressing all the time and this is the club for him."

Initially Liverpool issued a terse, short, club statement saying Gerrard was not for sale.

Now Houllier, just a few days after landing Harry Kewell for £5 million from Leeds, has gone on the record in a bid to end the speculation.

Houllier, talking to Liverpool's website, www.liverpoolfc.tv, said: "Steven is a player who is central to my long-term plans."

Gerrard has only two years of his contract remaining and there have been promises from Anfield that they will soon enter into negotiations for a new deal, just like they will do with Michael Owen, who also has two years of his contract to run.

The fear from inside Anfield is that there is a sub-plot to the Gerrard speculation aimed at undermining those negotiations. Houllier added: "The Liverpool board share my view on Steven's future so there's no chance of him going anywhere.

"I said at the end of last season I'm sure he will sign another contract. His future is here and the good thing is he wants to be at Liverpool."

Gerrard will play his first game of the pre-season build-up tomorrow in Cologne - as will new boy Kewell. The squad will return to Liverpool at the end of the week before immediately leaving for a two-match trip to the Far East to play Shanghai and Hong Kong next week.

Newcastle have insisted that Gary Speed still has a role to play with the team.

Upset that the club will offer him only a contract extension on a reduced salary, the Wales captain, who still has a year of his existing deal remaining, is aware of interest from Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Fulham.