BLACKBURN Rovers remain in the hunt for David Wetherall, although Huddersfield Town have stolen a march in the race to sign the Leeds United defender.

Wetherall had discussions with Huddersfield yesterday afternoon after the First Division club agreed a £2 million fee with Leeds.

But a move to the Terriers is far from cut-and-dried which leaves the door open for Rovers to try and lure the 28-year-old centre-half across the Pennines.

Wetherall confirmed: "Talks with Huddersfield went fairly well but people are saying I am on the brink of signing but there's a lot of talking to be done yet.

"I am not rushing into a decision yet."

And Wetherall's agent, Hayden Evans, confirmed that it is not a one-horse race for the player's signature as he keeps his options open.

He said: "Negotiations with Huddersfield are at an early stage and there are other clubs interested."

However, Bradford City apparently ruled themselves out of the running today which could leave Rovers as the only serious rival to ambitious Huddersfield boss Steve Bruce, who has been given an £8 million transfer kitty to spend to mount a promotion challenge. Rovers secretary Tom Finn said today that the club wouldn't comment on individual players.

But Blackburn have previously confirmed that Wetherall is a name that has been mentioned as a potential transfer target.

Wetherall has made 250 League and Cup appearances for Leeds since his arrival from Sheffield Wednesday eight years ago as part of a £275,000 deal which also saw Jon Newsome signed at the same time.

However, he found himself frozen out of the first team picture for most of last season and it was only when Martin Hiden and Robert Molenaar were forced onto the sidelines with cruciate ligament injuries from December that Wetherall made an impression.

But the form of skipper Lucas Radebe and Jonathon Woodgate then led to him occupying a place on the bench again towards the end of the campaign as Leeds finished fourth in the table.

Hiden is expected to be back for the new season and with boss David O'Leary believed to be in the market for a new central defender it means Wetherall is pushed even further out of the picture.

"Whatever happens this week will be tinged with sadness. It's a decision that's been forced on me," Wetherall added.

Meanwhile, Rovers have recovered their outlay on Swiss under-21 international Oumar Konde, who has joined German club SC Freilburg. Konde has signed in a deal worth £400,000 depending on appearances, with Rovers also incorporating a 30 per cent sell-on stake in the package.

It's a good bit of business for Rovers, whose previous manager Roy Hodgson signed Konde from Swiss outfit FC Basle last October.

However, the midfielder made just two substitute's appearances during his time at Ewood Park.

He never looked likely to figure in Brian Kidd's plans and, along with striker Kevin Davies, was recently fined two weeks' wages for attending a nightclub two days before Blackburn's penultimate game of the season against Manchester United.

Blackburn midfielder Jason McAteer is out of the Republic of Ireland side for tomorrow night's Group Eight European Championship qualifying tie against Macedonia at Lansdowne Road.

McAteer failed a fitness test on a calf injury in training in Dublin and his place goes to Wimbledon's Mark Kennedy, who will win his 22nd cap.

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