Rangers plot move for Blackburn Rovers star - he knows Ibrox club well | OneFootball

Todd Cantwell is currently at the forefront of a contract saga at Ewood Park

Michael O'Neill's start to life as Blackburn Rovers boss couldn't have gone much better in terms of on-pitch results and performances, but that doesn't appear to have fully aligned with developments off the pitch at Ewood Park.

After replacing Valerien Ismael on a part-time basis as he splits his focus between Rovers' survival mission in the Championship and his well-documented ambition of taking Northern Ireland to the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the 56-year-old has overseen two successive victories.

With Blackburn earning a surprise 3-1 success to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on February 14th, O'Neill's side were able to back up their strong performance in West London with a dramatic 1-0 success over local rivals Preston North End at Ewood Park on Friday night, with Yuki Ohashi's 95th-minute strike creating a five-point gap between themselves and Leicester City, who currently sit on 33 points just inside the second tier's relegation zone.

As such, the East Lancashire outfit will be heading into their midweek encounter with Bristol City full of confidence, and a third successive victory would only strengthen the belief that they can remain a Championship side for next season, before looking to move forward.

However, that may have to be done without the services of some of the highest earners on the Venky's payroll, with head of football operations, Rudy Gestede, dropping a recent bombshell on developments concerning goalkeeper Balazs Toth and experienced playmaker, Todd Cantwell.

The aforementioned comments regarding Cantwell were hardly encouraging, and neither are a fresh set of developments which have now come to the fore.

Rangers FC plot reunion with Blackburn Rovers playmaker Todd Cantwell amid contract stalemate

It has been well-documented that Rovers' current financial situation is far from ideal, with Gestede having these words to say on the long-term futures of Toth and Cantwell, with the ex-Norwich City man currently out-of-contract next summer.

“We have offered Todd Cantwell and Balazs Toth the highest wages we can in terms of our wage structure, but they are not interested. We simply can not compete," said the former Blackburn striker, who is now part of the club hierarchy.

Cantwell has played 60 times for the Blues since his arrival from Scottish Premiership giants, Rangers, on Deadline Day in the summer of 2024, scoring seven times and providing 10 further assists in the process.

Seven of those 17 goal contributions have come in 20 Championship appearances this term for the man who Ismael appointed as club captain at the beginning of the season.

However, Football Insider now report that the aforementioned contract standoff between the 27-year-old and Rovers is catching the attention of several potential suitors, including the Light Blues, who he played for 64 times, scoring 14 times and posting 12 assists between January 2023 and August 2024.

Cantwell is, unsurprisingly, said to be the highest earner at the club, according to Capology, with a standout ESTIMATED salary of £30,000 per week.

Blackburn Rovers may have no choice but to part ways with Todd Cantwell

The two-time Championship title winner has certainly split opinion in a Rovers shirt this season, as he is clearly capable of producing several key moments for his team, but has also been ineffective in other outings.

Given the current set of circumstances, Blackburn may have little choice but to move the playmaker on in the summer window, or risk losing his services on a free transfer at the end of next season.