Source: Telegraph
Roque Santa Cruz: I want to play for bigger club than Blackburn
The City manager's take-it-or-leave it £20 million offer to his former club Blackburn may help seal the deal but it is clear, beneath all the politeness, that the 27-year-old Paraguyuan striker is keen to leave. [LNB]"While I'm a Blackburn I can't talk to anyone at City. I only know what everyone else knows: that they are interested in me but that they haven't yet come to an agreement with Blackburn. My agent has been contacted by other clubs, but the fact is that Mark Hughes is a manager I know. He knows me, and I know what he expects."[LNB]By his own admission Santa Cruz has been keen to avoid getting involved in the media speculation. Much of what has been printed had been gleaned from interviews he had given with Paraguayan radio, in which it was claimed Rovers would not budge for anything less than £25 million, and much has been made of an alleged £20 million clause in his contract. Santa Cruz insists much of that information has been lost in translation. [LNB]"There were some things quoted from that radio interview in Paraguay that were not true. And some things must also stay between the club and the player," Santa Cruz said. [LNB]"Everything is out my hands. I said already once my thoughts on the situation and I think that was enough. I didn't want to keep going to the press all the time. I have stated my position. Every player wants to have the opportunity to play in Europe and play for the bigger clubs. I'm no different. I want to be winning things and I want to be playing in Europe. [LNB]"But let's make it very clear, saying that does not mean I don't appreciate being at Blackburn or that I'm not happy here. The main reason why I haven't said anything [to the English press] is because I am very sensitive to the fans and I don't like to be talking all the time about bigger clubs. I respect the Blackburn fans a lot. So I am leaving it entirely up to the two clubs to sort out."[LNB]Santa Cruz, who joined from Bayern Munich in July 2007, was a superb bargain for Blackburn, because Hughes paid only £3.5 million for a striker who scored 23 goals for his club in his first season in English football. His success triggered a summer of speculation about him moving to a "bigger" club but in the end he signed a new four-year deal in August to stay at Blackburn until 2012. [LNB]He is clearly concerned by suggestions that he is causing problems for his present club. Manager Sam Allardyce is adamant that Rovers want him to stay and he will still be their player when the transfer window slams shut on Monday. When asked if he is truly happy at Blackburn, he replied: "Yes, yes, yes I am. I have never had a problem with anything at Blackburn. I get on with everyone at the club. I have said right from the start that I love Blackburn Rovers. [LNB]"It might seen strange, like two opposite things, that I can love Blackburn but I also want to go on and play for a bigger team and achieve more. If nothing happens in the transfer season then I will be happy to stay here and work hard to move forwards."[LNB]Still the lure of a big-money move to Eastlands may have been resisted by Kaka but it is a hard thing to ignore, as Craig Bellamy showed. Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy admits that he understands how it would be hard for Roque's head not to have be turned by Manchester City millions, and he publically warned that the grass is not always greener. [LNB]Santa Cruz is well aware of the dangers, but he seems to have been sold the Abu Dhabi dream. "I know that [Manchester City] are a team looking to become big in the future. They have a lot of ambition, they are looking to bring in some big players, and are aiming for the Champions League."[LNB]
