NEWS
Sunday, June 10, 2001
Bonetti's Negri bid fails
By Scott Davie

Dundee have failed in an audacious attempt to sign former Rangers striker Marco Negri as replacement for Claudio Caniggia, who joined the Ibrox club for £1million last month.

The Dens Park club's manager Ivano Bonetti believes that the man who scored 36 goals in 39 games for the Glasgow giants would have been the perfect player to take over from the Argentinian superstar.

The pair met in Bologna recently, where Negri has been working at the renowned Isokinetic sports clinic in an effort to regain his fitness after a frustrating last two years under Dick Advocaat. The striker's attitude was constantly called into question as he failed to force his way back into the Rangers side.

It was thought he was ready to turn his back on the game altogether but the free agent is determined to rebuild his career with the aid of the clinic that got both Roberto Baggio and Beppe Signori back playing.

Dundee co-ordinator Dario Magri has known Negri since he was a youngster playing with Bologna and is convinced that the temperamental player just needs the same encouragement as Caniggia to flourish.

The Tayside team took a chance on the former World Cup star when he was frozen out at Atalanta and Magri is convinced Negri could have done just as well.

He said: 'We have discussed bringing Marco to Dundee and he is looking for a club, but he is reluctant to come back to Scotland after what has happened and that it understandable.'

'I know that he still has a lot to offer the game as he is only 31 years old.