Blackburn Rovers told to consider selling Man City & Liverpool target on one clear condition | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit has given his verdict on whether Tom Atcheson should be sold if Man City or Liverpool reignite their interest.

It is fair to say it has been a turbulent start to the season for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.

Blackburn narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship last season under Michael O'Neill, and while they would have been hoping for a fresh start after Tony Mowbray's return as head coach, it looks set to be another challenging year for the Lancashire outfit.

Blackburn Rovers kept hold of Tom Atcheson despite Man City, Liverpool interest

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Blackburn picked up four points from their last two games before the international break to bring some much-needed positivity to Ewood Park after a tough few weeks, but Mowbray's men are still 16th in the Championship table, just four points clear of the relegation zone.

Rovers' disappointing start to the season comes off the back of a nightmare summer transfer window in which they made only three new signings in Gady Beyuku, Sam Morsy and Jayden Fevrier, as well as making Moussa Baradji's loan move permanent, and that has left the squad light in a number of areas.

However, one positive for Blackburn during the summer transfer window was that they were able to keep hold of defender Tom Atcheson, who was reportedly the subject of enquiries from a number of clubs, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Crystal Palace.

Atcheson joined Rovers at Under-12 level, and after a loan spell with National League North side Marine in the 2024-25 season, he has established himself in the first-team squad at Ewood Park over the past year.

The 20-year-old made 15 appearances in all competitions last season, and he has started seven of Blackburn's first eight league games this campaign, while he has also made his senior breakthrough for Northern Ireland at international level in recent months.

Blackburn Rovers verdict issued on potential Tom Atcheson sale as Man City and Liverpool circle

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When asked if the club should consider selling Atcheson in January to bring in funds to strengthen the squad, FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit Simon Middlehurst admitted he would not be against cashing in on the defender if they receive a suitable offer.

"If the deal was right," Simon told FLW.

"The problem we've had in the past when it comes to selling players is that we've let their contracts run down and not made anything of it.

"We sold Sammie Szmodics and Adam Wharton for decent prices, and there's obviously sell-on fees as well.

"We did the same with David Raya.

"The way he's going and developing, and now he's a full Northern Ireland international with a couple of caps to his name, it wouldn't surprise me if big teams did come in for him.

"As long as the deal is right, Blackburn aren't done over and we've got decent add-on extras, I would be open to it.

"Blackburn have been known for academy players coming through and going on to better their careers, but the deal has to be right for both the player and the club."

Tom Atcheson sale would be a gamble for Blackburn Rovers amid alarming Venky's trend

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As Atcheson continues to impress at both club and international level, it looks certain that he is destined for bigger things at some point in the not-too-distant future, particularly with a host of Premier League sides believed to be keeping tabs on him.

The idea of selling Atcheson for a significant fee in January in order to raise funds to reinvest in the squad is a sensible one in theory considering Blackburn's lack of depth, but given their recent track record in the transfer market, it is difficult to be confident that the money will be spent wisely.

With that in mind, Mowbray may prefer to keep hold of Atcheson until the summer rather than risk losing a key player who may not be sufficiently replaced, but it could be tough to turn down a sizeable bid if a top flight club comes calling.