Blackburn Rovers revelation hands Middlesbrough fresh transfer blow | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers defender Callum Brittain will travel with the squad for their pre-season trip to Spain despite interest from Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Blackburn Rovers defender Callum Brittain after it was revealed that he will be travelling to the club's pre-season training camp in Spain with the rest of his team-mates.

After a disappointing 10th-placed finish in the Championship last season, Middlesbrough parted company with head coach Michael Carrick last month, and former Luton Town boss Rob Edwards was appointed as his replacement.

Almost a month into his tenure at the Riverside Stadium, Edwards has not brought in any new senior players, and Boro are one of only three sides in the second tier yet to make a signing this summer, along with Leicester City and crisis-hit Sheffield Wednesday.

It looked as though that was set to change, with journalist Alan Nixon revealing on Friday that the Teesside outfit are preparing to launch a new bid of £3 million plus extras for Brittain after their initial £2.5 million offer was rejected.

However, as no deal for Brittain has yet been agreed despite the fact it's understood the player wants to move to Teesside this summer, the 27-year-old will now jet off to Spain with the rest of the Blackburn squad on Sunday as the club continue to stand firm on their valuation of one of their key players.

Middlesbrough hit fresh stumbling block in pursuit of Blackburn Rovers defender Callum Brittain

Brittain played a key role last season as Blackburn missed out on the Championship play-offs on the final day of the campaign, and as well as being on the radar of Middlesbrough this summer, he is also said to be attracting attention from Derby County and Wrexham.

As he enters the final year of his current contract at Ewood Park, Brittain has been offered a new deal by Rovers, but he has rejected that proposal, and after news of Boro's first bid emerged, he asked to be left out of the squad for the pre-season game against Accrington Stanley last Saturday.

Speaking after the 2-1 victory over the League Two side, Blackburn head coach Valerien Ismael confirmed that there is strong interest in Brittain, particularly from one club, but he insisted that they would need to increase their offer in order to agree a deal, and he also warned the defender he would not allow the saga to drag on.

"He didn't accept our offer," Ismael told the BBC.

"If [the club] want Callum, they have to come back with a better offer. It's not what I want to do to see him leaving, he's a very important player.

"Callum decided not to play today on his own," Ismael continued.

"I spoke with him, I said clearly that I will pass this game but I hope from next week we have clarity because we cannot do that every week. Let's see what happens in the next few days but some clubs are very interested, especially one, in Callum."

It seems Boro are preparing to submit an improved bid, but with the two clubs still believed to be apart in their valuations, Brittain played 58 minutes of Rovers' 1-0 pre-season friendly win over Everton on Saturday.

Blackburn have now confirmed that Brittain will travel with the rest of the squad for their week-long pre-season training camp in Spain, where they will face Qatar SC and Elche, and that could significantly delay Boro's attempts to seal a deal for the ex-Barnsley man.

Ismael was clear that he would not let the transfer saga involving Brittain disrupt Blackburn's pre-season preparations, and it seems the Frenchman has been true to his word by including the defender in the squad for the trip to Spain.

It is possible that negotiations between Rovers and Middlesbrough could continue over the next week, but it will be difficult for the transfer to be concluded while Brittain is not in the country, and the latest delay is a big blow for Edwards, who is in need of a new right-back before the start of the season.

Boro have been linked with a move for Swansea City defender Josh Key, but if they are struggling to meet Brittain's valuation, it is highly unlikely they would be willing to pay the huge £5 million fee the Welsh side are reportedly demanding for the 25-year-old.