BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen has indicated he's ready to sit down and open talks about signing a new deal with the club.

Rovers boss Mark Hughes is planning to offer the 24-year-old a bumper new contract as a reward for some impressive performances over the last 18 months.

And Pedersen intends to start negotiations shortly, which will come as a blow to Tottenham Hotspur, who are thought to be keen on signing the former Tromso star.

Pedersen's lawyer, Torgeir Knutsen, said: "Blackburn have said that we are going to sit down and have talks about a new contract for Morten.

"Right now, I think there's a vacation (in England) but I suppose something will happen soon."

Pedersen was still a relative unknown when he joined Blackburn from Norwegian football two years ago so he is not currently one of the club's bigger earners.

However, Rovers are now ready to double his £10,000-a-week wages, which would see him jump up the pay scale and reflect his status as one of the star performers in Mark Hughes' team.

"The level (of wages) varies from club to club and player to player, but Morten has obviously taken big strides since he came to Blackburn," said Knutsen.

As for speculation regarding other clubs, Pedersen's camp insist they are unaware of any concrete' interest from Spurs.

Torgeir added: "Nothing is concrete. The only concrete thing is Blackburn have said they want to offer Morten a new contract this summer."

Pedersen has previously stated he would be happy' to sign a new deal with Blackburn, despite speculation linking him with moves elsewhere.

When asked about the prospect of signing a new contract recently, he said: "I have people who take care of that for me. I'm just concentrating on my football."