A number of clubs are interested in signing Real Madrid legend, Raul after it was reported he will leave the club this summer. The 33-year-old's career at the Bernabeu is expected to come to an end this summer, after scoring a club record 311 goals in 16 seasons with the side. He had been expected to move to the Bundesliga on a free transfer but offers from the Premier League duo remain on the table.

Blackburn are banking on ex-Real team-mate Michael Salgado to persuade the player to move to Ewood Park. United have also reportedly informed agent Gines Carvajal that they wish to discuss personal terms with Raul. But Blackburn are hoping that Raul's friendship with Michael Salgado may prove to be the key.

Michel Salgado has warned Aston Villa to prepare for another dose of frustration when they face the new John Terry at Villa Park.

And he believes 18-year-old Jones, who signed a new five-year deal this week, has all the qualities to become as good as Chelsea's Terry.

Salgado said: 'He’s a great centre back. He’s played around 10 consecutive games and he’s proved that he’s ready to play for us.

'He probably going to be the next Terry, but he’s probably more comfortable on the ball.

'He’s in a great situation.Next season he’s going to feel even more confident, a real senior player at Blackburn.

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has praised the growing influence of veteran defender Michel Salgado.

Salgado, 34, joined the Ewood Park club on a free transfer from Real Madrid last summer and was used sparingly by Allardyce during the opening weeks of the season before becoming a regular starter since the turn of the year.

The former Spain international is under contract with Rovers for another season and Allardyce is pleased to have him on board for a second year.

He said: "He is out there leading by example. Our young lads are playing well for us but Michel is doing more than his bit and his experience has proved invaluable. He has come to terms with what it takes to play in the Premier League and, since December, has been outstanding for us.

Former Real Madrid defender Salgado faces United with Blackburn on Saturday after twice helping the Spanish giants to eliminate Sir Alex Ferguson’s men from the Champions League at Old Trafford.

Salgado said: “Manchester United are missing Cristiano, that’s for sure. Anyone would miss a player like him. But they can’t afford to think about him and the past. In football there is no past, only the present.

United face defensive crisis, says Ferguson “Cristiano has to think about Real now because I’ve told him the first year will always be a difficult one.

“It will be a very difficult year for him and the rest of the new players, but I said to him that if you can get through the first year, you will do great things.”

Footballing superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham told Premiership newcomer Michel Salgado that he would like it in England.

So the former Real Madrid star took them at their word and joined Blackburn Rovers.

But he had some previous knowledge of life in England – because in his younger days he just loved life in Margate.

Childhood memories of beating the Germans at beach football, peanut-butter sandwiches and his first beer make the town a special place for the 33-year-old.

It all came about on a school exchange in the summer of 1990. All eyes were on the World Cup in Italy, but on the sands language student Salgado was on the ball.

“I learned a lot from that experience,” he said. “It was the first time in England and my first time outside Spain.

“It was different to live without your own family, to come here as a child and move to an English family and English food. Everything was new for me.

“It was my first experience to go out to a discotheque for teenagers. We drank a little and that was new for our group. I’ve been interested in England ever since.”

MICHEL SALGADO knows what it is like to be beating Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford but admits things are a little different these days.

In one of the most blatantly obvious statements of the season, he said: “It’s very different being a Blackburn player to a Real Madrid one.”

Rovers go to the self-styled Theatre of Dreams looking to end a nightmare run by securing a first away win of the season.

It is a sharp contrast to the first time he visited the stadium as one of Madrid’s Galacticos in 2000, when a 3-2 victory set Real on their way to winning the Champions League.

On another famous European night, a Ronaldo hat-trick was not enough to prevent Real going down 4-3 and Salgado said: “Old Trafford is a great stadium which holds some great memories for me. I always like to remember the games against them. We won 3-2 there in 2000 and went on to win the Champions League in Paris. That quarter-final was a great night for us – for me, that was the game when we won the competition.

“And I remember the game when Ronaldo scored a hat-trick...it was a wonderful stadium to enjoy.”

However, it is not the best place to be when you are on the wrong end of a thrashing – as Blackburn have been on the other occasions this season when they have faced the big four.

MICHEL Salgado and Nicola Kalinic gave swine-flu hit Blackburn some much-needed cheer as they edged past gutsy 10-man Peterborough.

Salgado and Kalinic both scored their first goals in English football after Darren Ferguson’s Posh had come back from behind twice.

Peterborough overcame the fi rst-half sending-off of keeper Joe Lewis to give Rovers a real scare at Ewood Park.

Chris Whelpdale cancelled out Morten Gamst Pedersen’s early opener – and then George Boyd equalised after Steven Reid scored his fi rst goal in three years from the spot.

But Salgado netted for the fi rst time since his arrival from Real Madrid in August to ease Blackburn’s nerves, before Benni McCarthy and Kalinic – with another penalty – tied up the victory.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has revealed the procedure involved in helping foreign players adjust to life at Ewood Park.

Defender Michel Salgado and Croatia forward Nikola Kalinic make up a contingent of over 15 overseas players currently on Rovers' books.

"We've got a liaison officer to cover all aspects of helping them settle in," said manager Sam Allardyce.

"You have to look at a complete life change and make sure they're happy."

Players added to the isport network