Possible Liverpool, Tottenham, AC Milan transfer battle could be bad news for Blackburn Rovers: View | OneFootball

Highlights

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To say the summer transfer window was an eventful one for Blackburn Rovers would arguably something of an understatement.

In the end, ten players would depart the club in the aftermath of the end of last season, including top scorer Ben Brereton-Diaz, the at time talismanic Bradley Dack, first choice goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski, and teenage sensation Ashley Phillips.

With regards to incomings, Rovers made a strong start to the window, with Niall Ennis, Sondre Tronstad and Arnor Sigurdsson all arriving at Ewood Park before the end of June.

However, reports from The Daily Mirror then claimed that Rovers' owners Venkys had been told to reduce their investment in the club by the Indian government.

That apparently led to a significantly reduced transfer budget, and even suggestions that head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson was considering leaving the club.

Ultimately though, Tomasson has so far remained at Ewood Park, while Rovers did at least manage to get a further four signings added to the first-team squad before the market.

How has Hill done since joining Blackburn from Bournemouth?

With both Daniel Ayala and the aforementioned Phillips moving on during the summer, Blackburn found themselves in need of some extra depth in the centre of their defence.

That is something they would eventually get the day before the window closed, when Hill joined the club on a season-long loan deal from the Cherries.

Initially, the 21-year-old was made to wait for his chance in the side, with his first league start for Blackburn not coming until the trip to Coventry City, just over a month after his arrival.

Since then though, the Bournemouth loanee has barely looked back, starting each of Rovers' last eight games in all competitions.

During that time, the young defender has produced some impressive performances both at centre back and right-back, making some vital contributions to some important wins for the club in the process.

That has already seen Hill become a popular figure around Ewood Park, with many Blackburn fans already suggesting they would love to see the defender back at the club on a longer term basis.

However, while that would surely be appealing for Rovers, it could be argued that some of the recent transfer rumours regarding one current Bournemouth player, could be bad news for the Ewood Park club when it comes to Hill's future.

What could recent transfer reports mean for Blackburn and James Hill?

According to recent reports from Football Insider, Premier League duo Liverpool and Tottenham are planning to make moves for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly in the January transfer window.

The pair could also face competition from further afield, with journalist Fabrizio Romano recently reporting that Italian giants AC Milan are working to secure the signing of Kelly whose contract with the Cherries expires at the end of this season, come January.

Given they are an overseas side, the Serie A outfit would of course, be able to secure a pre-contract agreement with the defender from the turn of the year.

Considering the financial strength of those clubs, the chance to compete for trophies and in European football that they would offer Kelly, and the defender's contract situation, it therefore looks a though it could be extremely hard for Bournemouth to retain the defender beyond this season amid so much competition for his signature.

Indeed, that would not be helped if the Cherries were to drop back into the Championship either, as they currently sit 17th in the Premier League table, just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Should Kelly leave though, Bournemouth would of course need to replace him, which would be a blow to Blackburn's hopes of securing another deal for one of the Cherries' other defenders in Hill.

With the 21-year-old impressing so much for Blackburn in the central defensive role that Kelly currently fills for Bournemouth, he is someone the Cherries may consider as a potential replacement for the latter, if he is to move on.

Indeed, that could certainly be an appealing option for Bournemouth if Kelly is to leave for free when his contract expires - as could still happen, if clubs elect not to meet the asking price of a player who will be available for nothing just a few months later.

If things do play out like that, then bringing in a player who is already on their books in Hill - who would obviously not require any further investment - could make more sense for the Cherries, than going out and spending to replace a player for just lost for no reward.

Consequently, when the form of Hill that Blackburn are benefitting from in the short term is combined with that interest emerging in Kelly, that could yet be something that in the long term causes Rovers to miss out on what would be a very popular signing, to leave them searching for yet more central defensive reinforcements.