Blackburn ready to sign Fowler

Blackburn manager Paul Ince is set to sign former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler on a permanent contract.

Fowler, 33, has been on trial at Ewood Park since July and has impressed Ince enough to convince his former Anfield team-mate to start discussing a deal.

“I think we are close to doing something with Robbie,” Ince told Blackburn's website. “I've said all along that he has to get his fitness and sharpness and we are now seeing good signs of that.

“In the last three or four days in training he's been absolutely different class.

“He's a world-class striker and if he can get fit and sharp then he will always score goals at any level. I'll sit down with the chairman now and discuss where we are going to go from here.”

Ince also insisted that Manchester City can forget about signing Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz and denied reports left-back Stephen Warnock has handed in a transfer request.

Rovers rejected City's bid for Santa Cruz earlier this week and Ince said: “You've seen all the stuff in the papers and I haven't got to say what the situation is.

“Stephen Warnock has come back and said he had no intention of putting a transfer request in.

“As for Roque, he has said he wants to stay. Some people seem to be creating so many issues at Blackburn which aren't there. It's not right and it's not professional.

“The players that I want to keep are not leaving this club, it's as simple as that. We have got two weeks to bring in two or three more players and once that's done we can crack on again.”