Blackburn Rovers transfer truth revealed after late Chelsea approach | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers rebuffed interest late in the summer transfer window from the likes of Chelsea for Tom Atcheson

Blackburn Rovers turned down interest late in the transfer window from numerous Premier League clubs for 19-year-old centre-back Tom Atcheson.

Blackburn had one of the quieter transfer windows across the entire EFL, with three new arrivals and Moussa Baradji's loan being made permanent as their only incomings across the entire summer.

On the flip side, though, Rovers didn't have to bid farewell to too many players. The likes of Sondre Tronstad and Ryan Hedges left at the end of their contracts, and a few faces went out on loan.

It could have been much worse, though, as academy star Atcheson had, and still has, admirers from the top flight.

Blackburn Rovers turned down late Premier League interest in Tom Atcheson

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According to TEAMtalk, Blackburn rebuffed late interest in Atcheson this summer from a whole host of Premier League sides, namely Chelsea, who see the 19-year-old as someone who could develop into a first-team player at Stamford Bridge.

Alongside the Blues, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool are monitoring his progress, while Newcastle United, Sunderland and Crystal Palace all made enquiries late on.

Palace have proven to be an apt club for Blackburn prospects to grow, with Adam Wharton currently plying his trade at Selhurst Park. Rovers see Atcheson as their biggest prospect out of the academy since the 22-year-old.

The centre-back, who turns 20 later this month, broke into the senior side at Ewood Park in the latter stages of last season under Michael O'Neill, who was juggling the Northern Ireland job with an interim spell at Blackburn.

Atcheson was handed his first senior cap for the Green and White Army by O'Neill, who was evidently a fan of the teenager at club level, a feeling that Tony Mowbray shares.

The centre-back was handed the number six shirt this summer and has played every minute he possibly could in league action, missing the defeat at Preston North End on Saturday after seeing red against Lincoln City last week.

Tom Atcheson's Blackburn Rovers contract situation as Premier League clubs circle

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Blackburn haven't been the best at tying down their star players on improved contracts in recent years, with the likes of Lewis Travis, Callum Brittain and Tyrhys Dolan leaving for cut fees or even for free over the last year or so.

They seemingly learned from their mistakes with Atcheson, tying him down to an unspecified "long-term deal" back in April ahead of his extended run in the team to end the campaign.

While it's uncertain how long that deal is, his previous contract was set to run out at the end of next season, so it'll at least ensure that Blackburn holds all the cards when it comes to a potential future sale, if the 19-year-old can develop at the rate that many expect him to.

Wharton left the club back in January 2024 for a fee rising to £22 million, so if all goes to plan with Atcheson's potential, a healthy eight-figure fee could be in store for the East Lancashire side.

Blackburn Rovers were wise to reject Premier League advances for Tom Atcheson this summer

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The TeamTalk article goes on to state that Blackburn's main reason for the rejection was to keep control of his development, which is a smart decision.

There may be a lot of hype surrounding the Northern Ireland international, but he's played fewer than 20 EFL games, so it'd be very unlikely for him to walk into a Premier League side and play regularly, which could be damaging to his immediate progression.

Staying at Ewood Park means he'll get the necessary game time at a decent level needed to improve, rather than the odd cup game and youth team football for an elite academy.

If Blackburn are to maximise the profits they can make for the 19-year-old, they need to keep him at the club for the next couple of years.

Plus, with the lack of action in the window contributing to what's already a negative atmosphere at Ewood Park surrounding the ownership, selling a key player and one of the brightest stars in the second tier with no time left to replace him could have seen fan frustration boil over.