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.
