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New boss Ince to block Bentley's Rovers exit

24/06/2008

New Blackburn Rovers manager Paul Ince has said he will not allow star midfielder David Bentley to leave the club this summer.

Speaking at his first press conference since signing a three-year contract to take over as manager at Ewood Park, Ince said he is "not in the business of selling [his] best players".

And he also revealed he will hold talks with Bentley, as well as highly-rated striker Roque Santa Cruz, about their respective futures at the club.

When asked if he was resigned to losing England international Bentley this summer, Ince replied: "No, I'm not in the business of selling our best players.

"I want [David] Bentley, [Roque] Santa Cruz, these type of players to stay at the club.

"I will sit down and talk to both those players and discuss their futures in the next few days once I've had a chance to settle in."

Bentley and Santa Cruz have both been rumoured to be targets for Manchester City, who are now managed by former Blackburn boss Mark Hughes.

And Bentley has also previously been quoted in the press as saying he wants to leave the Lancashire outfit for a club that regularly plays in the Champions League.