Blackburn Rovers star eyed up by Everton as £4m transfer fee mooted | OneFootball

Ryan Alebiosu is currently away with the Nigeria national team as part of the Africa Cup of Nations

Everton and Wolfsburg are both interested in a deal for Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu in January.

According to ESPN, the full-back is attracting suitors from the top flight in England and Germany following his performances for Valerien Ismael’s side in the Championship this season.

The 24-year-old joined the Lancashire outfit this past summer from Belgian outfit Kortrijk after a loan spell in Scotland with St Mirren in the second half of the previous campaign.

The ex-Arsenal man has proven an important part of Blackburn’s squad so far this season, featuring 20 times in the Championship, contributing with one goal and two assists from the right-back position.

Alebiosu is currently unavailable for struggling Rovers due to his call-up to the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria, who have advanced to the round of 16 after winning all three of their group games.

Ryan Alebiosu attracting top flight interest with Everton circling

It’s believed that Everton and Wolfsburg are both keen on a deal to sign Alebiosu from Blackburn this month.

The full-back is understood to be available for around £4 million, just months after joining the Championship side in the summer.

The Nigeria international is unlikely to move while away in Morocco competing at AFCON, where the final will take place on January 18, meaning a deal could come later on in the window.

Sassuolo and Genoa are also believed to be interested in the 24-year-old, who has impressed with his performances at Ewood Park so far this season.

Alebiosu signed a three-year deal when he joined Blackburn last summer, meaning he has a deal with the club until 2028, giving Rovers some leverage in any potential transfer negotiations.

Blackburn are currently 20th in the second tier standing, with Thursday’s defeat to Wrexham leaving them just three points clear of the relegation zone at the start of the second half of the campaign.

Ryan Alebiosu sale would be a blow for Blackburn Rovers and Valerien Ismael

It’s been a difficult season so far for Blackburn, but the arrival of Alebiosu in the summer has been one of the positives as a replacement for Middlesbrough-bound Callum Brittain.

The flying full-back has performed well, and he provides a strong attacking threat from the right-hand side of the pitch, so his departure this month would be a real setback for Ismael, if it came to pass.

A £4 million deal wouldn’t be a huge amount of money either, so replacing him could be tricky - especially as the Venky's don't really splash the cash much nowadays at Ewood Park.

Ismael has already had to deal with Alebiosu's absence in recent weeks due to AFCON, but losing him permanently would be a real blow given their current standing in the table.