Brazil's Cruzeiro reject offers for two key players

Rio de Janeiro, April 27 (IANS) Cruzeiro have rejected offers for Brazil international defender Dede and star midfielder Ribeiro, the Brazilian football club claimed.

Both are on the radar of European clubs after playing crucial roles in Cruzeiro's Brazilian Serie A title triumph last season, reports Xinhua.

According to the Belo Horizonte club's football director Alexandre Mattos Saturday, a bid was recently turned down for Dede from Russia's Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Ribeiro, named the best player in Brazil's top flight last year by the country's football confederation, has reportedly drawn strong interest from Manchester United, though Mattos did not name the English club.

"We had a $16 million offer from Zenit for Dede and an investment fund offer for Ribeiro but we turned both of them down," Mattos was quoted saying by Brazilian football portal Sambafoot.