Souness search ends with Gresko

Blackburn Rovers FC are hopeful of signing Slovakian international defender Vratislav Gresko from Italian club Parma AC.

Loan deal
Rovers manager Graeme Souness said today that a deal had been struck to bring 25-year-old Gresko to Ewood Park on an initial loan deal with a view to a permanent move. "We hope we have an agreement with the club and we understand we can get Gresko on loan until the end of the season with a possibility of a permanent deal at the end of that," Souness said.

Björnebye injury
Despite the emergence of 17-year-old James McEveley, Souness has been seeking another left-back following an injury to Stig Inge Björnebye. After a failed attempt to sign RC Celta de Vigo's Juanfran, he turned his attentions to Gresko, who has had limited opportunities at Parma following his transfer last summer from Inter.

'A quality defender'
Souness said of the former AŠK Inter Bratislava and Bayer 04 Leverkusen player: "He's a quality left-sided defender who had a couple of seasons at Inter Milan and was transferred to Parma. It's no secret we have been looking for a left-back and hopefully that search is now over."