Rovers are one of a host of Championship clubs said to be keen on MK Dons starlet Matt O’Riley but will need to stump up a seven-figure fee if they are to land him in January.

O’Riley has starred for the Dons in League One this season and scored the winner in Tuesday’s win over AFC Wimbledon. That took the 21-year-old’s tally to seven as interest hots up in the former Fulham man.

Rovers are in the market for a midfielder with uncertainty over the long-term future of Joe Rothwell who is out of contract in the summer, while Leighton Clarkson returning to Liverpool after his loan was cut short leaves them short of options in the middle of the park.

The Lancashire Telegraph has been told that Rovers have cast their eye over O’Riley but that it could take around £2m to sign him. All indications are that would prove beyond the club in this window.

Swansea City have shown the strongest interest so far but are also struggling to raise the funds required to secure a move - a similar scenario to Rovers.

The Swans, managed by former MK Dons boss Russell Martin, have already snapped up one player from his former club this month as Andy Fisher moved to the Liberty Stadium for a fee in the region of £400,000.

Rovers will pocket a significant chunk of that after a sell-on clause was inserted in the deal that took Fisher to MK Dons in October 2020.

Tony Mowbray has stressed that Rovers’ budget for the January window is unlikely to run into the millions, so negotiation would be required should they look to progress with any move.

There is European interest too in O’Riley who is eligible to play for both Denmark and Norway, while he is also on the radar of England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley.

Of transfer dealings, Mowbray said: “We’re working on them.

“We’re negotiating a few situations with clubs. Let’s wait and see.

“We aren’t going to spend millions on players, we’re trying to add to what we’ve got.”

Meanwhile, Rovers are working to finalise the loan signing of Hertha Berlin defender Deyovaisio Zeefuik.

The right back has been in East Lancashire since last weekend, with progress on the deal that will see the 23-year-old follow James Brown as the club’s second January addition.

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