BLACKBURN Rovers’ reigning player of the year Markus Olsson is set to sign for Championship rivals Derby County.

Olsson has six months remaining on his contract and, despite being in negotiations since before Paul Lambert’s arrival at Ewood Park, there has been no breakthrough in talks over a new deal.

That has led the club to agreeing to sell the left-back to the promotion-pushing Rams for a fee which is understood to have the potential to rise close to £1million.

Olsson travelled with the rest of the Rovers squad to Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Charlton Athletic and warmed-up on the pitch beforehand alongside his team-mates.

But afterwards his manager confirmed that the Sweden international, who has lost his place in the starting line-up to Tommy Spurr, was left off the bench as he has been the subject of a ‘really good’ offer.

Lambert, who took over from Gary Bowyer as Rovers boss in November, said: “Another club has come in.

“Obviously Markus is out of contract and, if we get the money, then it’s going to be a really good deal for the club because he is out of contract and he can walk away for nothing (in the summer).

“The money is good for somebody who is going to be out of contract.”

Olsson signed a two-and-a-half year deal after joining Rovers, where his twin brother Martin was already playing, on a free transfer from Halmstads BK in January 2012.

He was handed a new one-year contract in July 2014 after impressing in the absence of the injured Spurr in the final three games of the 2013-14 campaign.

With Spurr still sidelined Olsson made the left-back spot his own last season and he automatically triggered a new one-year deal, trying him to the club until July this year, after he made 23 league starts.

But Rovers have been unable to agree fresh terms with the 27-year-old and Derby, having had an enquiry turned down earlier in the current campaign, now appear to have got their man.

Lambert said: “It’s been ongoing since before I came in. It’s a situation I’ve come into but, with the Bosman ruling, we have to protect the club, and it’s a really good offer for somebody who is out of contract.

“I’ve come into something that was before my time and the first I knew of it was when I spoke to him when I first come in here.

“I don’t know what’s happened before and it’d be wrong for me to be judgmental, on who was right and who was wrong, as it’s a situation I can’t do anything about.

“We’re getting good money for someone who is going to be out of contract.”

Lambert confirmed that if Olsson does leave he will add another left-back to a shortlist of January transfer targets that is headed by a creative midfielder.

Derby travel to Rovers’ rivals Burnley tonight.

It is expected they will complete the signing of Olsson later this week.