Benzema ponders Lyon exit

Lyon striker Karim Benzema has admitted that he is tempted to leave the French champions in the near future, with the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona on his trail.

The 21-year-old is one of the hottest properties in European football, but Benzema says he wants to see Lyon progress to the latter stages of the Champions League before pledging his future to the club.

He told French newspaper 10 Sport: "I have reflected a bit on this subject during the winter break.

"I'd like to keep my opinion to myself before speaking about it to my family and my agent. But yes, we will have to see what happens after Barcelona.

"We have to stop all this talk about Lyon underachieving and to do that, we need to get past the quarter-finals.

"I love this club. I want to stay, but I would also really like it if we stopped getting knocked out in the last 16. For the moment, I am finishing the season here.

"I get on very well with president Jean-Michel Aulas and I have spoken to him about certain things, like about staying until 2010.

"But we have to have special aims in the Champions League."

Belokon refutes loss rumours

Blackpool president Valery Belokon insists he has no plans to walk out on the club despite reports suggesting he recently lost £100million from his personal fortune.

The Latvian bank magnate owns 20 per cent of the club and plans to pump more money into the Seasiders.

He told the Blackpool Gazette: "Not only am I planning on staying with Blackpool, but I am currently considering the possibility of increasing my shares in the club.

"That obviously means my further involvement with the club's progression.

"It seems to me that somebody else is more aware of my current financial capital than me, as I personally have not noticed such a tragic loss.

"The economic situation which is going on in the world is not affecting my progress plans for Blackpool FC."

Rovers allow duo to leave

Doncaster Rovers duo Craig Nelthorpe and Andrew Boyce have had their contracts cancelled by mutual consent.

Both players had deals with the club that were set to expire at the end of this season, but have been allowed to leave the Keepmoat Stadium early after failing to break in to Sean O'Driscoll's first-team plans.

Nelthorpe signed his first professional contract in 2005 after coming through the club's youth team ranks but made only three starts for Rovers and was loaned out to Kidderminster Harriers, Gateshead, Halifax Town and Darlington in the last two years.

Boyce penned his first professional deal with Rovers last summer, but has failed to break into the first-team squad and has spent most of this season on loan at Worksop Town.