BLACKBURN Rovers' out-of-favour midfielder Alan Mahon was today on the verge of a move to Ipswich.

The Tractor Boys contacted Rovers last night to enquire about taking Mahon on a three-month loan.

Ewood chief Graeme Souness has agreed to the deal in principle after recently bolstering his midfield resources with the signings of Dino Baggio and Barry Ferguson.

Now the final decision rests with the player who was set to meet Souness this morning to discuss his options.

"I can understand Alan Mahon wanting first team football," said Souness today.

"He's a smashing lad and this is an opportunity for him to go and re-establish himself.

"Ipswich are a good football club and Joe Royle is a good manager so I'm sure he will enjoy his three months there if he decides to go."

Ipswich chief Joe Royle switched his attentions to Mahon after recently failing in an attempt to bring Darren Ambrose back to Portman Road from Newcastle United.

He has tracked the Republic of Ireland international's career since he first burst onto the scene at Tranmere.

"I've followed him from early on in his Tranmere career and I also watched him a lot at Blackburn as well," said Royle.

And the former Manchester City boss believes the 25-year-old can plug the gap on the left hand side of his midfield as he looks to kick start the Tractor Boys' season.

"He's a left-sided player who possesses great skill. He can play wide or left midfield, he's a clever ball player, and a good deliverer of crosses.

"And if I can get him then he will be an excellent addition to the squad.

"Over the past six months we've lost Jamie Clapham to Birmingham and Hermann Hreidarsson to Charlton, who were both specialist left-sided players, so we've been lacking in that area.

"Alan is someone who can redress the balance a bit but at the moment we have not been able to contact him.

"I just hope that he will fancy a move down to us."

Mahon made a big impact at Rovers when he first arrived on loan from Sporting Lisbon in 2001, helping the club to promotion at the end of his first season.

That prompted Souness to make the move permanent and he paid £1.5 million to lure him from Portugal.

However, he has since failed to establish himself as a regular in the first team and he spent a spell on loan at Cardiff in the Second Division last season.

In the last few weeks, he has slipped down the pecking order even further following the arrivals of Ferguson and Baggio so a move now looks inevitable.

Rovers U19s are at home to Barnsley tomorrow (11am) while the U17s travel to Nottingham Forest.