Football: Rovers poised for triple transfer

BLACKBURN ROVERS are set to embark on a pounds 12m treble transfer spree for Jason McAteer, Matt Jansen and Seth Johnson.

Rovers' manager, Brian Kidd, hopes to bring in Liverpool's unsettled McAteer today, paying pounds 4.5m for the Republic of Ireland right-back.

McAteer is willing to move from the club he supported as a boy and joined after turning down Blackburn three seasons ago. The deal should go through immediately if he agrees terms. He has struggled to hold down a first- team place lately, and finds himself behind the Norwegian Vegard Heggem in the fight for the right wing-back role.

Jansen should also become a Rovers player today, for around the same price as McAteer, Kidd beating Newcastle to the promising youngster's signature. Kidd is also close to capturing Johnson, the Crewe youngster hailed as a new Bryan Robson, in a deal worth pounds 3m.

Kidd is a huge admirer of Jansen, who is expected to conclude a deal today that will help Crystal Palace's hard-up owner Mark Goldberg to balance his books.

Although Jansen is a Newcastle fan he will have as good a chance of first- team football at Rovers. West Ham are interested, but Kidd should be able to tempt him north and he should also beat Liverpool to the signing of Johnson who can play anywhere in midfield or at left-back.

The Johnson deal could be paid for by the sale of Sebastian Perez, who has a pounds 2m move to Marseilles pending.