Exclusive: Keith Gillespie makes Adam Armstrong claim as Everton, West Ham and Newcastle United circle | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Keith Gillespie has said that Blackburn Rovers will sell Adam Armstrong this summer if a Premier League club makes an offer for the striker.

Armstrong has enjoyed an outstanding individual campaign for Rovers this season, scoring 26 goals in all competitions for the club, which has inevitably attracted interest from the Premier League.

The likes of Everton, West Ham, and Armstrong’s former club Newcastle have been credited with an interest in the 24-year-old, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Ewood Park.

Discussing the striker’s future, Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has admitted that while he would prefer to keep Armstrong, there is a possibility the striker will leave the club this summer.

Now, Gillespie has revealed that he believes that will indeed happen once the transfer window reopens, if a Premier League suitor emerges for Armstrong.

Giving his take on Armstrong’s future, Gillespie – who made 139 appearances for Blackburn between 1998 and 2003 – exclusively told Football League World: “He’s been a regular goalscorer in the Championship for them.

“So when Blackburn in the last couple of seasons haven’t really looked like they’re going to promoted, like they’re going to get in the play-offs, you know if a club comes in for him I’m sure that they won’t want to stand in his way.”

Indeed, Gillespie feels that Armstrong’s contribution to the club means he feels that Rovers should allow him to step up a level should the opportunity arise, as he added: “He’s been loyal to them, he’s been scoring goals week in week out, and I’m sure there’s been interest in him before and he’s stayed at the club.

“But now I’m sure he wants to make that next step, if there’s Premiership clubs interested in him he’ll want to make that move, and you can’t blame him.”

As things stand, Blackburn are currently 15th in the Championship table going into the final game of the season at home to Birmingham on Saturday afternoon.

Armstrong initially joined Rovers on loan from Newcastle in the 2018 January transfer window, making that move permanent the same summer, and has scored a total of 61 goals in 159 appearances in all competitions for the club.