Discussions are ongoing between Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town over the future of Sam Szmodics but no agreement has been struck, The Lancashire Telegraph understands.
Rovers rejected a bid, reported to be around £6million, for their star man earlier this week. The offer was well below Rovers’ asking price and was dismissed, as a result.
Ipswich remain interested in Szmodics and haven’t walked away from the deal at this stage. A second formal offer hasn’t yet been made but it’s understood Rovers are braced for further approaches.
It’s understood Leeds United did show some interest earlier in the week, despite club sources at Elland Road briefing otherwise, but never formally made an offer. They have now moved on from the situation.
The 28-year-old would be keener on the move to Suffolk anyway, having clearly outlined that he would like the opportunity to pursue a move to the Premier League, if it presented itself, at the end of last season.
Rovers will not stand in Szmodics’ way to play in the top flight providing their valuation is met. At the time of writing, that isn’t the case.
Szmodics has been at The Senior Training Centre with Rovers as usual but head coach John Eustace has a decision to make over his involvement this weekend.
Rovers will split their squad for Friday night’s match with Morecambe and Saturday’s trip to Wigan Athletic. The younger group are likely to play first, with the more senior team second. Eustace could decide to leave Szmodics out because of the ongoing transfer speculation.
The club are continuing to work towards a deal for Japanese forward Yuki Ohashi. An agreement has been struck with Sanfreece Hiroshima for a six-figure deal, well below the £1million reported in Japan.
However, it’s understood the 27-year-old is still in Japan, though it’s likely he will board a flight to the UK today (Thursday). Given the length of travel and time difference, a medical could then take place on Friday.
Considering the amount of paperwork and legalities that must be finalised, a formal announcement isn’t expected until the weekend, providing all goes to plan. Rovers could announce the deal subject to visas and other checks being completed but it’s not a quick deal to finalise.
A goalkeeper and centre-back remain priorities for Rovers. Their interest in Liam Cooper and Danny Batth have not advanced further, at the time of writing. The same can be said for striker Erik Engelhardt.
