Rovers are close to agreeing a new contract with Sam Gallagher – as Tony Mowbray quashed talk of Ben Brereton being sold in January.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands Gallagher, who is one of the club's top earners, is set to put pen to paper on fresh terms which will see him under contract until 2024 as he moves into the final 18 months of his current deal.

The attacker has scored 20 times since signing from Southampton for £5m in 2019 and returned to the side in the win at Bournemouth after a five match absence.

Rovers have offered extended contracts to Ryan Nyambe, Darragh Lenihan, Joe Rothwell and Ben Brereton, but those remain unsigned.

There is an option in the contract of Brereton which will see him under contract until 2023, with Mowbray confirming there have been no offers from any team for the 22-year-old, despite reports in the national press.

Those suggested that Brighton were on the verge of completing a £20m deal for Brereton but those have been played down by Rovers and sources at Brighton.

And Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I saw that, that is news to me. We’ve had no conversations with any club.

“We’ve had no contact about Brereton. I’d expect people to be interested in Ben Brereton, there is something wrong with their recruitment team if they’re not but we would hope Ben sees this as his platform to help the club progress and him to keep scoring and enjoying his football as much as he does.”

Brereton has been in fine form, scoring 17 goals in 22 matches this season, with a host of clubs showing interest in his services, with Leeds United the latest to be linked.

Interest appears inevitable in January given his scoring form and also his exploits on the international stage with Chile but Rovers will want in excess of £20m to even consider parting with their top scorer, not least given their league position with a fourth successive win cementing their place in the top six.

Brereton is expected to be named in the Chile squad for their World Cup qualifiers in early 2022 which fall outside of an international window which would rule him out of action for Rovers.

La Roja face Argentina on January 27 and Bolivia on February 1 as they look to keep their hopes of reach the World Cup alive. A call-up would rule the attacker out of the trip to Luton Town on January 29.