Blackburn Rovers transfer twist emerges ft Ryan Alebiosu and Todd Cantwell | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers are braced for interest for both Ryan Alebiosu and Todd Cantwell

Blackburn Rovers survived relegation to League One under Michael O’Neill in an otherwise difficult campaign.

The Lancashire outfit narrowly missed out on a play-off place 12 months ago, but finished just five points clear of the bottom three this year.

O’Neill replaced Valerien Ismael in February amid uncertainty over their league position, but it remains to be seen whether the Northern Ireland boss will remain in charge through the summer.

Rovers will be keen to build a team capable of competing further up the Championship table in the next campaign.

However, the club’s financial position could limit the amount of business they can do in the upcoming transfer window.

But before any deals can be done to bring in players, a decision needs to be made on who will be manager at Ewood Park next season.

Blackburn Rovers ready key player sales

It has been reported by Football Insider that Blackburn are preparing to sell both Todd Cantwell and Ryan Alebiosu this summer.

It is believed that the Championship side want to earn transfer fees for the pair in order to raise funds for their own summer business.

It was reported last January that Alebiosu was attracting interest from Everton and Wolfsburg, but Rovers were unwilling to lose the player midway through the campaign.

Blackburn turned down an offer understood to be worth £4.3 million from Italian side Genoa.

However, the Lancashire outfit are now open to his sale following the conclusion of the season as they look for a cash injection.

The 24-year-old has a contract until June 2028, meaning the club could generate revenue with a hefty sale that could then be reinvested back into the first team squad.

Alebiosu impressed for Blackburn this season, contributing one goal and five assists from 39 appearances in the Championship.

Meanwhile, Cantwell is also set to be available this summer as he enters the final 12 months of his current contract.

The former Rangers star struggled to make as much of an impact, featuring on 28 occasions in the league, registering five goals and three assists.

With his deal set to expire in 2027, Rovers are ready to cash in on the playmaker as it will be their last good chance to earn a fee for his services.

The transfer window will officially open on 15 June, as Blackburn wait for a decision on whether O’Neill will remain in charge for next season.

Blackburn losing Ryan Alebiosu will be a blow

Losing Cantwell this summer makes sense for all parties, as he is entering the final year of his contract and this will be the club’s last real opportunity to cash in on him.

But the sale of Alebiosu will be a real blow, and O’Neill will surely be seeking assurances that any fee earned from his sale will be put back into the team in order for him to stay.

It will be a tricky summer at Ewood Park, and the squad quite clearly needs investment in order to compete to a higher level.

The sooner a decision is made on the manager, the more quickly Blackburn can get to work on improving the team.