Blackburn Rovers man 'would want to go' to Brentford or Rangers - 'Venky's would cash in' | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit has given his verdict on defender Ryan Alebiosu's future amid links with Brentford and Rangers.

A new era is underway at Blackburn Rovers after Tony Mowbray returned to the club for a second spell as head coach.

It was a difficult campaign for Blackburn last season, and they were in the relegation zone when Valerien Ismael was sacked in February, but Michael O'Neill saved their Championship status after taking over at Ewood Park on a short-term basis.

After O'Neill decided against extending his stay in Lancashire, Rovers made the surprise decision to turn back to Mowbray, who previously had a successful five-year spell in charge between 2017 and 2022, which included leading the club to automatic promotion from League One.

Blackburn have made just one signing so far this summer, with midfielder Moussa Baradji completing a permanent move from Yverdon Sport for a fee of £2 million plus add-ons, while Sondre Tronstad, Ryan Hedges and Nathan Redmond are among the high-profile names who have departed at the end of their contracts.

Mowbray will be keen to stamp his mark on his new squad over the coming weeks, but it seems Rovers could be vulnerable to losing one of their stars, with journalist Alan Nixon revealing that Brentford and Rangers are keeping tabs on defender Ryan Alebiosu.

Alebiosu joined Blackburn from Belgian side KV Kortrijk last summer for a fee of around £500,000, and he enjoyed an impressive debut season at the club, scoring one goal and providing five assists in 40 appearances.

Italian outfit Genoa had a €5 million (£4.3 million) bid for Alebiosu rejected in January, while he was also linked with Everton and Wolfsburg, and it seems the 24-year-old is attracting further interest this summer from the Premier League and Scottish Premiership.

Ryan Alebiosu told to leave Blackburn Rovers as Brentford and Rangers circle

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When asked if he believes Alebiosu will be sold this summer, FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit Simon Middlehurst predicted that the club's owners would cash in if they receive a suitable offer, and he admitted that the defender should consider departing ahead of what could be another challenging season at Ewood Park.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Simon told FLW.

"If Brentford or Rangers came in with a decent offer, I think the club would accept.

"At the same time, I think Alebiosu would probably want to go and have a bigger challenge.

"If he went to Brentford, he would be playing in the Premier League.

"If he went to Rangers, there's European football and the potential to go for a title there as well.

"If those opportunities came to him, I think he'd be daft to turn them down, especially with the uncertainty around Blackburn.

"We don't know how this season is going to go, very much probably the same as last season, possibly a struggle.

"If the opportunity comes to play at a high level, I'm sure he'd want to take it and I'm sure the Venky's would cash in as well."

Tony Mowbray could be facing early Blackburn Rovers blow amid Ryan Alebiosu exit talk

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Alebiosu was one of the shining lights during a tough campaign for Blackburn last season, and Mowbray will certainly be reluctant to lose the defender, but it could be difficult to retain him as his list of suitors continues to grow.

Scouts from Brentford and Rangers are said to have travelled to watch Alebiosu in action in one of Rovers' recent pre-season friendlies, and while the defender was absent from the game due to illness, they are expected to return to cast an eye on him over the coming weeks.

With over a month remaining in the transfer window, it would be no surprise to see further clubs join Brentford and Rangers in the race for Alebiosu, but it remains to be seen whether anyone will be willing to meet Blackburn's reported £8 million valuation.