Blackburn Rovers make six-figure bid for 24-year-old Englishman

Blackburn Rovers have lodged a £750,000 bid for £1m-rated Union SG centre-back Ross Sykes, reporter Jack Gaughan has said.

Blackburn Rovers make six-figure bid for 24-year-old Englishman - The72

24-year-old centre-back Sykes made a surprise move from Accrington Stanley to Belgian side Union SG in July 2022.

He had come through Stanley’s academy but opted for a new challenge in the Jupiler Pro League, since going on to play 26 times for the club and even sampling a taste of European football.

However, new reports have said that Blackburn Rovers are bidding to bring him back to Lancashire.

Reporter Jack Gaughan said on Twitter on Tuesday that Rovers had made a £750,000 bid for Sykes. The offer falls £250,000 short of Union SG’s £1m valuation and the Belgian side would also want a sell-on clause included in any agreement.
Sykes still has three years remaining on his contract with Union SG, who also hold the option to extend his contract by 12 months if they wish.

Back to the EFL?

Ross Sykes of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise Controls the ball during... Nachrichtenfoto - Getty Images

Sykes has only been away from the Football League for a year but if Blackburn have their way, it could be that he comes back to these shores this summer. His game time has been a bit patchy with Union SG, dropping in and out of the squad somewhat as they’ve balanced domestic and European football.

A chance to return to the EFL in the Championship could prove intriguing but time will tell if Rovers can come to an agreement after initially bidding lower than his valuation.

Rovers could do with more depth at centre-back, especially amid the rumours over Ashley Phillips’ potential exit. If he moves on, only Dom Hyam, Hayden Carter and Scott Wharton will be on the books as options at the heart of defence.

READ MORE: Rovers handed potential boost as Bayern Munich ‘show interest’ in Raya

Rovers have been handed a potential boost in their hopes of landing a windfall from the sale of former goalkeeper David Raya.

The Spanish shot stopper racked up more than 100 appearances during his time at Ewood Park, making his senior debut in a 3-0 win at Leeds in April 2015.

Raya left East Lancashire to join Brentford in the summer of 2019 for an initial £3million fee and has since caught the eye in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old played 40 times in total last term as the Bees finished ninth in the top flight under Thomas Frank, beating the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea along the way.

Spurs had been linked with a move for the goalkeeper earlier this summer as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris.

But a new link has emerged over the past 24 hours, with Bayern Munich said to be interested in Raya’s services.

The former Rovers man is entering the final 12 months of his Brentford deal and has already turned down an extension at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Earlier this summer, Brentford boss Thomas Frank admitted that the Spaniard is available for transfer this summer but slapped a £40million price tag on him.

The Lancashire Telegraph previously reported that Rovers would be in line to bank between £3m and £4m should a deal take place before the end of the current transfer window.

“There are some options for me to go but obviously Brentford are asking for a lot of money,” Raya said in a recent interview with The Times.

“That could make clubs not want to buy me, it could make them look somewhere else. But if that’s the value they give me then it’s up to them. I have a year left on my contract and until then I’m a Brentford player, there’s nothing I can do.

“I have ambitions to make the next step in my career. I wan to try to win titles and compete in Europe in the next couple of years.

“I’m 27 now and I feel like I’m at the point in my career when I want to make that step up. There are options out there but it’s not just my ambitions, the club also needs to let me go.”

Meanwhile, reports in the national media claim that Tottenham remain confident they can complete a deal for Ash Phillips.

The deal had entered the final stages last week but Rovers are said to have upped their asking price for the highly-rated youngster.

The Premier League side have a long-standing interest in Phillips, who made 14 appearances last season, and were initially linked with him last August prior to his contract extension.

The 18-year-old defender has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past 18 months, initially making his Under-21 debut as a 16-year-old and then stepping up to the first team picture within a year.