Blackburn Rovers manager Graeme Souness is hoping to compensate for the loss of Damien Duff by signing the Republic of Ireland midfielder Steven Reid from Millwall and Sunderland's American international Claudio Reyna.
Rovers had a £3 million offer for Reid accepted by Millwall last night and are also weighing up a £1.5 million bid for Reyna, whom Souness watched playing for his country against Cuba in the Gold Cup on Sunday.
Souness needs to reinforce his midfield after Duff's £17 million switch to Chelsea on Monday. They have also lost David Dunn, for £5.5 million to Birmingham, and Keith Gillespie on a free transfer to Leicester.
Blackburn's initial £2 million offer for Reid was rejected in May, but Millwall's chairman, Theo Paphitis, granted permission for talks after his valuation for the player was met.
"We have always been up front with Steven and told him that we would keep him informed of any serious approach from a Premiership club," said Paphitis.
"Blackburn have made an improved offer, and Steven has been given our permission to talk to them. This has been done reluctantly, but having given our word to him, we are honour-bound to keep it."
Reid, though, appears in no hurry to make a decision.
"This is a good opportunity for me to go and talk to (Blackburn) and see what they have to say," he said. "There has been a lot of speculation, but something's happened and now I'm either staying at Millwall or I'm not.
"I've been at Millwall for 11 years and it's a long time. I've never really been away from London for more than a month or so, so it would be a big upheaval if I was to go and it's going to be the most difficult decision of my life.
"The chairman and manager have made it clear that they don't want me to go, so there's no pressure on me to leave. It's a decision I'm going to think long and hard about, and hopefully make the right one."
Meanwhile, as Duff jetted off yesterday to Malaysia to join his new team-mates, manager Claudio Ranieri urged Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to prolong his spending spree by insisting: "It is important that we continue to pick up the best players."
He said on the team's arrival in Malaysia for the Asia Cup: "It is important that the team continues to grow. And it is important that we continue to pick up the best players.
"We need players with good motivation so that we can continue to blend the team into one that can challenge Manchester United and Arsenal seriously at the top of the Premier League.
"But with the squad I have now, we will be very, very close to the bigger teams."
Guardian Service
