Blackburn have hit out at boss John Eustace's request for permission to talk to Championship rivals Derby. Rovers have "reluctantly" given the green light to the Rams, who have triggered a compensation clause of around £500,000, after talks with Eustace on Monday. Derby, who head into Tuesday's clash with Oxford inside the bottom three, sacked Paul Warne last week and have made former midfielder Eustace their top target.
The 45-year-old has steered Blackburn to sixth in the second tier but still has family based in the Midlands. A Rovers statement read: "The club is extremely disappointed by John Eustace's request to hold discussions with another club at such a crucial stage of the season, but this has now been reluctantly granted. "With significant investment being made during the January transfer window...the board and ownership feel the club are in good position to challenge for one of the play-off places this season. With the squad bolstered, key players returning from injury and Rovers currently in a strong position in the Championship, the club and players remain focused on achieving the best possible outcome this season.".
Eustace - who joined Blackburn a year ago - admitted on Sunday after the FA Cup defeat to Wolves : "I’ve come to the club to help rebuild it and help us push up the league and I’ve been very happy here. Now we’re going to have a discussion with the owners to see what they think. “I’ve just come off the pitch and realised they’ve made an official approach so I’m sure Steve and Suhail will want to sit down with me. I’d be disappointed if they didn’t.
“I’m away from my family a lot. When I came here, we were on the way down. Now we’re on the way up. It’s just something we’ll have to discuss with the owners and see what happens.”. Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
