Blackburn Rovers will not be lowering their valuation of Rudy Gestede, who is wanted by at least two Premier League clubs.
The Benin international, who has scored three goals in six appearances for his country, has been in splendid form for the Lancashire club this season. Although Rovers are falling behind in the race for a playoff berth – they are currently eight points adrift of sixth-placed Watford – their situation would be worse without Gestede who has hit 12 goals in 23 matches.
This has led to speculation from the top-flight, with Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace seeing a £3.5million bid for the 26-year-old rejected last week. Hull City, who are in the bottom three, are also interested, although it is not clear if they too have made an offer. Regardless, the Ewood Park club are in no mood to sell the former Cardiff City man, who is under contract until 2017.
“There’s no further developments as we speak,” Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer said on Tuesday. “The lad has conducted himself in a brilliant way as we expected. It’s not his fault that people don’t meet the valuation of him by our owners, all he can do is get ready for the game. The owners have a valuation on where the player sits and until that’s met, he won’t be going anywhere.”
Although Bowyer has paid tribute to Gestede’s professionalism, it is thought that the striker has told the club of his desire to play in the Premier League. Indeed, speaking after Palace had their offer for his client turned down, agent David Wancier told Guardian Sport: “Rudy just wants the club to consider this great opportunity for him to achieve his ambition to play in the Premier League.”
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