Blackburn boss John Eustace says the Blues’ already protracted move for forward Sammie Szmodics could drag on until the end of the transfer window.

Szmodics, 28, scored and assisted having come off the bench in Rovers’ opening day 4-2 home victory over Derby County last night.

“Look, it's out of my hands. I coach the team and that's what I am concentrated on,” Eustace told the Lancashire Telegraph afterwards.

“Sammie has been a true role model and a proper professional with dealing with what's been going on. I asked him if he'd be available for 20 minutes off the bench and he said 100%, he couldn't wait to get out in front of the home fans.

“It's not been easy. He hasn't played any game in pre-season and he's trained on his own as well. It's been a difficult time for him.

“It's not fair on the lad, it's not fair on the group with what is going on. We need that to come to a resolution as quickly as can. Then we can build a proper football team and keep the good spirit with us.

“He's a good player, isn't he? His attitude has never been in question, he's a fantastic pro.
"He's the life and soul of the dressing room, he's been going through some very difficult times in the last couple of weeks. He's a good player so I always expect him to be like that if he's on the pitch.”

While it still seems likely that the move to Portman Road, which TWTD first revealed more than a month ago now, will eventually happen with the player keen on the switch, Eustace isn’t entirely ruling out him staying at Ewood Park.

“It's not just for me but for the whole football club, if Sammie was to stay it would be a real sign of intent,” he added.

“If he stays and we can add three of four more quality players to add to the group to make us better, then we'll have a very competitive football team.

“I'm sure it could drag on until the end of the transfer window, I'm pretty sure that will be the case. It's about managing him and the group properly.”

As TWTD revealed early in July the Blues put in an initial offer of £6 million.

That was rebuffed and a number of subsequent bids were made before Town made an offer of £8 million plus a further £2 million just over a fortnight ago, a figure which Rovers had indicated would be accepted, despite claims they had wanted an unlikely £20 million for the Colchester-born attacker.

But Rovers turned down that bid as well, triggering Szmodics and his agent to hold showdown talks with the Rovers management. No developments are believed to have taken place since then.

Photo: Nurphoto

Bluemike31 added 09:28 - Aug 10 Yeah until after their court hearing on 20th, pretty obvious
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Fat_Boy_Tim added 09:30 - Aug 10 As long as it gets done, it’s just a case of being patient when dealing with the owners at Blackburn. I’m sure we are pursuing other avenues because we want to bring in more than one player in that three behind the striker.
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SitfcB added 09:32 - Aug 10 Code for: We will eventually let him go on deadline day.
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Bazza8564 added 09:32 - Aug 10 "We need that to come to a resolution as quickly as can" Yes you do! And only you guys can! You will be able to buy 3-4 players if you sell him now, but you won't if this drags on until 31st August. Frankly Blackburn Rovers it's time to poop or get off the pot!
3

Smithy63 added 09:37 - Aug 10 Tell them you have had enough keep ur player in the championship as ur stopping his dreams of ever playing in the Premiership
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OldFart71 added 09:48 - Aug 10 Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear. Quite surprised we are still in for him after the best part of four weeks. Don't know if we have offered Blackburn anything along the lines of extra money if Szmodics scores so many goals or if we stay in the Premier League. Or whether they are just playing silly b*ggers and dicking us about.
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fallyblue added 09:49 - Aug 10 If he is a great lad, attitude never been in question why is he training on his own? Doesn’t sound like they are really wanting him to stay!
5

bluejacko added 09:50 - Aug 10 We have made the offer,they can end this now either accept or just say no he is not for sale! Pretty easy really.
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Bazza8564 added 09:55 - Aug 10 Sorry fallyblue, marked you down instead of up, great point
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:07 - Aug 10 Lesson learned hopefully ,dont deal with Useless & co in future.
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ArnieM added 10:35 - Aug 10 Blackburn owners are full of shytehousery.
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tractorboybig added 10:38 - Aug 10 can you blame Blackburn, if you waste 20 million on delap they will hold out for the same, after all he was the top scorer in the championship
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OzzyBlue added 10:47 - Aug 10 @Tractorboybig - why are you branding the money on Delap a waste already out of curiosity? He’s not even finished pre-season and had sufficient time to adjust to the stye of play/tactics McKenna requires
4

Wickets added 11:02 - Aug 10 Eustace says he wants Sam to stay but keeps putting him in the shop window by constantly talking about him .
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gosblue added 11:12 - Aug 10 Our top valuation seems to be £10m (£8m plus add-ons). If we really want him, offer them £10m cash, no add-ons, no sell-on, no BS. If they can’t agree to that then we shouldn’t be doing business with them and we can move on to the next target. The lad needs to be playing football wherever that is. As a side bar, I wonder if a sudden influx of £8m+ cash from Town would have a bearing on any court ruling later this month. Maybe the Venky’s are waiting for that ruling before accepting any offer.

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tractorboybig added 11:12 - Aug 10 ozzyblue i question the price tag and what we offered for the blackburn bloke
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brittaniaman added 11:55 - Aug 10 Without Szmodics Blackburn would have drawn with Derby 2-2 . 1 goal ,1assist. in under half hour That means it will be harder to get him Unfortunately
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BerksBlue15 added 12:06 - Aug 10 same club who loaned out their captain to us last season when they really could have used him themselves, so not sure they can be classed as a club that knows what they're doing! they've just signed three or four forwards but still dragging their heels on this. they clearly want to sell him but presumably hoping to have him help win them a couple of games before they let him leave? very frustrating for the player who clearly wants to leave and progress rather than be stuck in the Championship in a mid table team. we equally don't know how open they've been with us around what's actually holding it up, so could be that Ashton is OK with the delay based on some info he's got that we don't. in Ashton we trust.

2

TimmyH added 12:16 - Aug 10 Knowing our luck he'll pick up an injury playing in the mean time...
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jas0999 added 12:29 - Aug 10 Then e should move on immediately as we need players now. After a bright start to the transfer window, things have worryingly stalled.
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Linkboy13 added 13:16 - Aug 10 McKenna must be having sleepless nights with our failure to attract quality players.
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Cambsrover14 added 13:18 - Aug 10 Brittain wtf are you on about we would have drawn 2-2 even if Szmodics didn't come on we had others who could have scored without him give ya head a shake. One man don't make a team. I've had enough of reading the same sh!t day in day out either pay up or don't and move on. Szmodics will stay until January I can see it happening.
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DannyITFC added 14:53 - Aug 10 Move on he’s 29 with no premier league experience so if Blackburns CEO wants to be unreasonable with negotiations there’s better options out there for less money. It’s getting a bit boring now, he ain’t worth more than £12m absolute tops.
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 15:55 - Aug 10 Cambsrover14, There is no need for you to read the same old sh1t day in day out. Not sure why you are here? Apropos Szmodics, no doubt we will get him, nice to see he has kept his scoring boots. I presume that if Blackburn got relegated he would become available, so that is always a possibility.
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