League One trio Sunderland, Ipswich and Portsmouth are all eying a move for Rochdale midfielder Ollie Rathbone as reported by Football Insider.
The report claims Championship outfit Blackburn are also keen on the former Manchester United schemer.
Rathbone joined Rochdale from United in 2016, and he’s gone on to make one hundred and forty-two appearances across all competitions, including twenty-five this season. His all-action, hard-working style has caught the eye of several club’s and the report suggests a host of scouts have been keeping tabs on the twenty-three-year-old.
Rathbone never made the first-team at Old Trafford, but he’s now an experienced League One campaigner, and with two goals and four assists this season, he’s catching the eye of the bigger clubs in the division.
The sought-after central midfielder signed a new three-year deal at Rochdale in the summer, potentially keeping him at the club until 2022.
However, journalist Pete O’Rourke claims a source at Rochdale has revealed the club is bracing themselves for January bids for one of their prized assets.
Our View
Rathbone is quality and would add something to the midfield of all the clubs mentioned.
O’Rourke is usually reliable, so there must be something in the story.
It will be fascinating to see where Rathbone is playing his football in February and what sort of fee it would take to tempt Rochdale into selling.
Many Rochdale fans would expect £1m, but the club does not currently have an excellent record at maximising their assets.
Our view is this one is one to watch out for.
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