Keane denies he's made decision to exit United

Michael Kennedy, who is advising Roy Keane in his contractual talks with Manchester United, yesterday denied a report that the player had already made up his mind to leave the club.

Kennedy repeated an earlier statement that Keane would respond to United's final offer, said to be £32,000 a week, tomorrow.

"He is still thinking the matter through, but the intention is to respond to Manchester United before the weekend," he said.

Keane, 28 last Wednesday, is looking for a new deal which would gross him £40,000 a week and tie him to the club for the next five years.

Meanwhile, Rivaldo, Barcelona's Brazilian midfielder who has been named as a possible replacement for Keane at Old Trafford, yesterday poured cold water on the move.

Rivaldo, who first triggered the interest of Alex Ferguson last season, said he would only move if his situation at Barcelona became unacceptable.

"Manchester are a great team and I am flattered by their interest," he said. "But I would only consider moving there if I wasn't happy at Barcelona. And that is not the case."

Wolves manager Colin Lee, who on Tuesday criticised Mick McCarthy's decision to include Robbie Keane in his squad for next month's triple European Championship programme because of the strain it placed on the teenager, said yesterday that he will not be withdrawing him.

Wolves said they still held the view that unfair demands were being put on Keane but said that the player will be made available for Ireland's games.

Former Irish youth international midfielder Ronnie O'Brien may move on loan from Juventus to fellow Italian club Genoa or Switzerland's Grasshoppers Zurich.

O'Brien was surprisingly released on a free transfer by Middlesborough boss Bryan Robson to join Juventus last March.

Last week the Bray youngster was used as a late substitute in his team's InterToto Cup victory over Russian side Rotselmash Rostov. But first team opportunities look limited in the multi-talented Juventus squad. And with no reserve team operating at the club, the Italians are now apparently happy to farm out O'Brien even though his long-term future has been guaranteed in Turin.

Grasshoppers Zurich have already indicated their interest but Italian Serie B Genoa are also very much in the race.

Ironically, Grasshoppers will be in action tonight against Bray Wanderers, O'Brien's home town club in the UEFA cup in Zurich.