STEVEN Nzonzi is attracting interest from half of the Premier League as his time at Blackburn Rovers seems certain to end this summer.

Nzonzi was surprisingly left out of Rovers’ final four games of the season but remains in demand after displaying his potential during three seasons in the top flight.

The Lancashire Tele-graph understands that as many as 10 clubs are now considering making a move for the 23-year-old, with Newcastle, Stoke and Fulham said to be among those interested.

Arsenal also continue to be linked with a bid for the midfielder, who still has three years left on his contract at Ewood Park but would be eager for the chance to remain in the Premier League foll-owing Rovers’ relegation earlier this month.

Steve Kean previously confirmed that Rovers turned down two bids for Nzonzi just before last August’s transfer dead-line, while the 6ft 3in Frenchman has even been reported to have attracted interest from abroad, from clubs such as Spartak Moscow and Borussia Dortmund.

Rovers want to keep their best players as they prepare for life in the Championship but will lose Junior Hoilett, whose contract expires this summer.

Yakubu has also now admitted that he does not want to play in the second tier – although he remains under contract until a club activates a clause, understood to come into force following a bid of around £2m as a result of Rovers’ relega-tion from the top flight.

Nzonzi saw friend Chris Samba depart in February, with the centre back joining Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, and went from a key player to an unused substitute after being overlooked for selection in the final weeks of the campaign.

With a number of clubs circling, it is expected that Nzonzi will secure a move away from Ewood Park before the closure of the transfer window at the end of August.

A former France under 21 international, he was brought to Ewood Park by Sam Allardyce in the summer of 2009 from Amiens.

Relatively unknown at the time, he has since developed into arguably Rovers’ most important midfield player during three years at the club.