Tony Mowbray to return to Blackburn Rovers? Slaven Bilic demand sets up new twist | OneFootball

Tony Mowbray is in line for a sensational return to Blackburn Rovers after talks with Slaven Bilic hit a snag.

Blackburn Rovers are looking for a new permanent manager after interim boss Michael O'Neill opted against remaining at Ewood Park past the summer in favour of returning to his post as Northern Ireland manager.

O'Neill arrived at Rovers in February following the sacking of Valerien Ismael, and went on to keep the Lancashire club in the Championship, winning five, drawing five, and losing five of his 15 games at the helm.

This saw Blackburn become keen to keep the Northern Irishman permanently after his interim stint, but he ultimately decided against it, instead penning a new contract with his country.

The Blue and Whites are now back in the managerial market ahead of the new season to try and find the right successor who can make the most of the foundations laid by O'Neill.

Names such as Slaven Bilic and Russell Martin have previously been linked with the vacancy at Ewood Park, but a shock new contender has reportedly emerged in the race for the Blackburn hotseat.

Blackburn Rovers in contact with Tony Mowbray over potential Ewood Park return

The latest name to be linked with the Blackburn job is one who fans will be more than familiar with, having previously spent five years at the club between 2017 and 2022.

In a surprise twist, Tony Mowbray, who'd already been ruled out of contention for the job could now be in line to return to the Ewood Park dugout, according to reports from Alan Nixon via his Patreon page on Sunday morning.

The 62-year-old was last in charge of West Brom between January and April 2025, when his time at The Hawthorns was cut short following a poor run of results at the tail end of the season.

However, Nixon has revealed that Mowbray could be in contention to land the Blackburn job should he be keen on taking up the post, and be deemed fit to manage.

The experienced boss had to step down from his role as Birmingham City manager in 2024 due to health issues, but made his return to management less than a year later.

This revelation in the Blackburn managerial saga comes after talks with one of their top targets, Bilic, reportedly hit a snag.

Blackburn Rovers and Slaven Bilic hit snag during talks

It's no secret that the Lancashire club are huge admirers of former West Ham and West Brom chief Bilic, having previously tried to secure his services after sacking Ismael earlier in the year.

However, the Croatian turned down a move to Ewood Park, citing it as the wrong time to make the move. This hasn't stopped Rovers from trying again to replace O'Neill though.

Bilic was sounded out as one of Blackburn's top targets this summer, but according to Nixon, talks have hit a snag which could prevent any deal from being completed.

The 57-year-old reportedly wants a huge pay-off guaranteed by Rovers, said to be the equivalent of two years' salary, should the move not work out.

Blackburn are happy to pay good money to acquire Bilic's services, but have been taken aback by the sheer amount of the settlement he's asking for.

The Croatian is also keen to get clarification on the budget available to him, with owners Venkys not known for giving precise figures, according to Nixon.

This has opened the door for a sensational return by Mowbray, with other candidates such as Martin closing in on a move elsewhere, and former QPR boss Marti Cifuentes an outsider in the race.