FIORENTINA have no intention of releasing their Argentinian striker Gabriel Batistuta to Blackburn Rovers in a £10 million deal.

Blackburn manager Ray Harford said: "The problem in Batistuta's case was that the Fiorentina president told us he would get shot if he let him go." Harford has also lost out in an attempt to sign French international Christophe Dugarry, who chose to move to AC Milan from his former club Bordeaux in a £3.5 million deal.