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RICHARD O'Kelly, Doncaster Rovers' assistant manager, has dismissed claims that speculation linking several of the club's players with moves elsewhere could cast a shadow over their preparations for the new season.
Instead O'Kelly believes it is a "back-handed" compliment that stars such as Matt Mills and Brian Stock continue to attract admiring glances from the top- flight.
"It's not a problem," he told The Star. "It's something that happens in football all the time. The trick is to try to stay ahead of the game and be prepared for every eventuality.
"We're always monitoring different situations and it's inevitable that people will be doing the same with us. That's why it doesn't bother us - we know it is inevitable."
Mills, rapidly becoming one of the most coveted defenders in the division, has already been the subject of one bid - known to be in the region of 2 million -from Nottingham Forest. Sources at the City Ground suggest that Billy Davies, Sean O'Driscoll's counterpart in the Midlands, could return with a final 'take it or leave it' offer.
Birmingham City are also understood to be monitoring Mills' progress.
O'Driscoll is armed with assurances from chairman John Ryan that Rovers are looking to strengthen, not dismantle, the squad which earned plaudits for the quality of its performances in the Championship last term.
And the manager has proved a formidable foe in the transfer market in the past
Hence Forest's decision to explore the possibility of signing Blackpool's Shaun Barker instead of Mills.
O'Kelly added: "We have a list of people we're interested in. We have a list of options we can turn to if one of our lads goes."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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