Givet may force Blackburn Rovers exit following 50 per cent pay cut (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Givet may force Blackburn Rovers exit following 50 per cent pay cut

11:00am Saturday 26th May 2012 in Football By Andy Cryer , Blackburn Rovers reporter

GAEL Givet could be forced to quit Blackburn Rovers this summer – due to a clause in his contract that would cut his wages in half.

The Ewood Park favourite could be tempted to stay at Rovers next season, despite their Premier League relegation, but only if a clause in his current deal can be renegotiated.

Givet’s contract states that a drop into the Championship would automatically bring about a 50 per cent pay cut, leaving him wanting out on those terms He is seeking talks with Rovers officials in the coming days to see if a compromise could be reached, with several clubs from France understood to be waiting to pounce.

Nathou Busi, a representative for Givet, said: “Gael’s first choice is to stay at Blackburn Rovers but only if the situation can be sorted.

“We will have discussions with the club because Gael cannot continue in this situation. We hope something can get sorted.

“Gael very much likes Blackburn Rovers. He likes the fans and wants to stay if the contract can get sorted.

“He would want other things sorted at the club as well because no-one knows what is happening. But he would like to stay if he can.”

Givet, 30, initially signed on loan for Rovers from Marseille in January 2009, before signing a four-year deal for £3.5m that summer.

The former French international quickly established himself as a mainstay of Rovers’ defence under former boss Sam Allardyce, winning players player of the year in his first full season.

He has continued in a similar robust fashion, earning the tag of ‘warrior’ among supporters and even being handed the captain’s armband on occasions.

Givet would have several suitors should he opt to quit Ewood this summer, with a return to his homeland understood to be tempting for him.

He will hope his contract crisis can be sorted out with Rovers but, as the owners continue to dally over deciding on manager Steve Kean’s future, Givet fears his own situation will linger on.

With Scott Dann expected to depart this summer, Givet and Grant Hanley would be Rovers’ only two centre backs left at the club - with Givet very much seen by some as the key to building a promotion winning squad.

Meanwhile midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen has pledged to see out the remainder of his contract at Ewood Park despite the club's relegation from the Premier League.

The 30-year-old Norway international is halfway through the four-year deal he signed in May 2010 and, despite being linked with a move away, Pedersen insists he is fully committed to the club.

"There have been some speculation and questions from the media about my future," he said.

"My response to that is that I have a contract with Blackburn Rovers and I intend to honour that.

"As a football player the relegation was the worst thing that has ever happened to me," he wrote on his website www.gamst.co.uk.

"As a Blackburn fan it was devastating, it was cruel and I cannot describe the feeling I had when the relegation was clear and the season was over."