Opinion: As inevitable transfer interest emerges, Blackburn Rovers simply must stand firm

In a way, you have to feel that Blackburn Rovers were going to have to deal with transfer interest from elsewhere during the January window.

With Rovers performing so well in the battle for promotion from the Championship, and a number of of their key players out of contract in the summer, you feel other clubs were always likely to look to Ewood Park as the source of a potential bargain this month.

Now it seems as though one club who are trying to exploit that situation as the market nears the final few days, are AFC Bournemouth.

Earlier this week, TalkSport journalist Alex Crook claimed that the Cherries have made a £2million bid for Blackburn midfielder Joe Rothwell, one of those who is out of contract at the club this summer.

Subsequent updates from the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that Rovers have already rejected three bids from Bournemouth for the 27-year-old, with the south coast club yet to come anywhere near Rovers’ valuation of the midfielder.

That you feel, is stance that Blackburn simply must maintain until the market draws to a close next Monday.

So far this season, Rothwell has been in simply outstanding form for Rovers, becoming a vital figure in their push for promotion.

The midfielder has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 27 Championship games for Tony Mowbray’s side, with his driving runs from the centre of the park making him an at times unstoppable force for opposition defences.

As a result, losing Rothwell’s presence from midfield would be a major blow for the Ewood Park club, during a window where you feel they need to add – to ensure they have the strength in depth to last the whole campaign in the promotion race – rather than weaken it with departures such as this.

It should of