Redknapp says Robbie's staying put - December 15, 2000
West Ham boss Harry Redknapp decided to put the Robbie Keane rumour industry to the test yesterday - and got a firm rebuff from both club and player.
Redknapp used £10 million of his Rio Ferdinand dosh as bait, but Inter politely told him where to stick it.
"We made an offer of £10 million but we couldn't quite agree terms with them. It wasn't far away I don't think, but I don't know if they really want to sell the boy anyway, to be fair," Redknapp said.
"He is top class, a fantastic talent and he has only just turned 20 years of age. But at the end of the day it is what the boy wants to do and I think there are lots of other clubs in for him in England. But I don't know if he wants to leave Italy - I think he probably wants to stay there."
Keane played for Inter last net in their Italian Cup quarter-final second-leg game against Parma at the San Siro - after he and his team-mates had survived a bomb scare!
As the team bus pulled up at the stadium, someone hurled a Molotov cocktail which smashed into the side of the coach, starting a fire. Police were able to extinguish the blaze quickly and he players were unhurt.
The match ended in a scoreless draw - but that was a big improvement on the first leg, which Robbie missed through injury. Inter lost that one 6-1!