TWTD understands that Blackburn Rovers midfielder Keith Andrews is at Town this afternoon to undergo a medical with his signing on a six-month loan deal likely to be confirmed later today. The Blues were hoping to land the 30-year-old Republic of Ireland international last week but Rovers are understood to have been the club who boss Paul Jewell said weren’t answering their phones.

Speaking yesterday, Jewell said he was confident that he would complete two deals before the end of the week, the second believed to be a central defender, possibly Liverpool’s Daniel Ayala, who is also a target of Hull City and Swansea.

It’s likely that Blackburn’s willingness to loan Andrews was linked to the completion of their deal to sign 22-year-old FK Partizan midfielder Radosav Petrovic, a switch which was announced earlier this afternoon.

Defensive midfielder Andrews began his career with Wolves, moving on loan to Oxford United, Stoke and Walsall before making a permanent switch to Hull City in 2005 when his contract at Molineux ran out.

After a just over a year with the Tigers, the Dubliner moved on to the MK Dons where he made his name playing under Paul Ince, the former England international taking him into the Premier League during his short spell in charge at Ewood Park for £1.3 million in the summer of 2008. The first of the 6ft tall midfielder’s 20 Irish caps - plus two goals - followed soon after.

Last season Andrews made only three starts and three sub appearances for Rovers and his exit this summer has been on the cards for some while, despite having a contract which takes him up to 2013. Leeds and Nottingham Forest were amongst the other clubs interested.

Earlier this week, a tabloid revealed that the details of Andrews’s Blackburn contract and those of some of his colleagues were outlined in a brochure the club was passing to agents.

According to the document, the midfielder is on £21,000-a-week, of which the Blues are likely to be paying only a proportion, plus an additional £2,000 for every Blackburn game he plays.

Andrews’s Rovers wage was due to increase with every five Premier League games he plays and he is due a further annual payment of £26,667.

His former club the MK Dons will receive 10% of any profit made on the £1.3 million Rovers paid for him if they were to sell him.

Andrews is likely to make his Town debut in Saturday's home game against his old club Hull City.

Photo: Action Images

robdaful added 16:35 - Aug 9 Not sure if he's any good but sure Jewell will have sussed him out.
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itfcjc added 16:35 - Aug 9 A good signing I hope we'll have to wait and see
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blueblood66 added 16:40 - Aug 9 welcome Keith
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TractorMan added 16:42 - Aug 9 6 month loan and then I guess option for a free transfer as his contract is up in the summer?
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the_toff added 16:43 - Aug 9 Wow. Superb signing if we can close the deal, just wish it was perm. Still if we're up there come Jan i expect we'll do what we have to to keep him here.
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Lightningboy added 16:45 - Aug 9 Will probably take Kennedy's position..not too fussed on this one but in PJ I trust. More excited at the possibility of Ayala from Liverpool though.
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Special_A added 16:45 - Aug 9 Great signing if all goes through. Ayala would be the missing link. These two would wrap up a fantastic summer of signings! Well done all involved and fingers crossed
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ozzydog added 16:49 - Aug 9 Very good signing this one. Gives Town loads of options with the holding midfield player which I think PJ favours ITFC are starting to look in very good shape,now for that CH COYB
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simoitfc added 16:50 - Aug 9 andrewa a good holdin mid player with an eye for goal, god loan if hes pants after 6 months he goes back so no risk involved with large price tag and high wage well done pj
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SamWhiteUK added 16:53 - Aug 9 Is this the bloke that runs like a girl?
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come_on_blues added 16:56 - Aug 9 Welcome Keith hope you do well
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ITFC4daprem added 17:00 - Aug 9 great buy good experience COYB
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blue_em_away added 17:04 - Aug 9 Glad its a loan deal. Jury is out with me on this one at the moment.
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itfc1878 added 17:08 - Aug 9 andrews+CB+ST=PROMOTION:D
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itfc1878 added 17:08 - Aug 9 ^yes and or a keeper!
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ITFCMonk added 17:14 - Aug 9 Really pleased about this news.. now lets snap up Daniel Ayala!
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shaunous added 17:17 - Aug 9 Just saw the news regarding Keith on Sky Sports, very happy to see some defensive cover but very excited and optimistic of the possibility of Alaya, quality players and very good signings to help us reach the top spot! Keep going for Ayala!!
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EatonBlue added 17:33 - Aug 9 So, Rovers finally got BT to fix their phones then !
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dad96 added 17:46 - Aug 9 shame it's only a 6month loan, would have preferred a year! fingers crossed we can be in a position come january to convince both blackburn and andrews to want to stay longer!! Excellent upgrade to kennedy and gives us a lot of depth in the midfield. great work PJ!!
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townietilidie added 18:25 - Aug 9 Signing sealed (so says wikipiedia) , very happy with this one . For those who dont know much about him i think you will be pleasently suprised . COYB
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TrueBlueFerret added 18:33 - Aug 9 Welcome aboard Keith,U r just the Man to cure our Livers COYB
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Eireannach_gorm added 18:40 - Aug 9 Medical could be a problem because he cried off the RoI vs Croatia match due to injury.
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taylor15 added 18:41 - Aug 9 hmmmm, was pretty average at milton keynes, and also not too great at blackburn.. but paul jewell really is, a top top manager, and i'm sure he'll do fine! however, andrews did impress me when playing for republic of ireland, so good luck keith!!
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Sparky85 added 19:23 - Aug 9 GK, CB, RB = Done!!! GK - Wright will do if he doesnt want to much money CB - Ayala would be good, otherwise Khizanishvili and Sonko on free's RB - Chimbonda, Parnaby, Jacobsen and Zuiverloon all on free's
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shaunest1 added 19:29 - Aug 9 ...these last few months have been unbelievable with regards to signings, if only the pro keeners had listened to all us anti keeners, this could have been happening 18 months ago, in jewell we trust, coyb....
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