VENKY’S could be set to rebuff takeover interest from Middle East oil giant Qatar Petroleum after insisting that they have no intention of selling Blackburn Rovers.

QP, owned by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar and said to be the third largest oil company in the world, is understood to be contemplating launching a shock takeover bid for Rovers.

As revealed exclusively on the Lancashire Telegraph website on Saturday night, the company has set its sights on ending the eventful 12-month reign of Indian poultry firm Venky’s with a £25m offer.

The Qatari suitors are willing to offer Venky’s their money back and would take on and cover all remaining debts, despite Rovers’ perilous Premier League position.

But Venky’s, who sealed their £23m buy-out of the club from the Walker Trust a year ago this week, have previously vehemently denied any suggestions that they would consider selling Rovers and remained committed to that stance yesterday.

A number of club insiders reiterated to the Lancashire Telegraph that Venky’s will not walk away and that was confirmed by Venkatesh Rao, who said: “We have no interest in selling Blackburn Rovers whatsoever.”

QP is thought to be looking at other clubs as well as Rovers, although it is understood to have already been put off moving for Everton due to the cost involved in building a new stadium.

The company would want a quick resolution to any move in order to implement the changes they feel are needed for the club to thrive in the Premier League.

The prospect of buying a Premier League club has become attractive after the Middle East state was awarded the 2022 World Cup, with QP even thought to have shown some interest in buying Manchester United previously.

As a state-owned company, QP have links with Qatar’s crown prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, reported to have a net worth of around $2bn.

Another business owned by the Qatari state, the Qatar Investment Authority, have already ploughed money into French side Paris Saint Germain.

Spanish club Malaga have also recently been beneficiaries of Qatari investment, while European champions Barcelona signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with the Qatari Foundation earlier this year.

But Venky’s have long insisted that they have a long-term vision for Rovers and are not looking to walk away.

Rovers are currently 19th in the Premier League, amid protests against both the owners and boss Steve Kean, but Venky’s remain ambitious to help the club climb the league and reach Europe within the next few seasons.