BLACKBURN Rovers last night signed Sunderland midfielder Jordi Gomez on loan for the rest of the season – after top-scorer Jordan Rhodes completed his £11m move to Championship rivals Middlesbrough.

Rovers will receive a guaranteed £9m for Rhodes, plus a potential £2m in add-ons, after his protracted transfer to his long-term suitors took another dramatic twist on the final day of the January transfer window.

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The wantaway Scotland international was left ‘baffled and disappointed’ on Sunday after Middlesbrough pulled the plug on the big-money deal following a disagreement over personal terms.

But, after more discussions yesterday, and with Rovers owners Venky’s and manager Paul Lambert refusing to budge over the initial agreement the clubs had in place, the deal was resurrected.

Rhodes was told by Lambert he could leave training in case of fresh developments and, after travelling back up to the north east, he last night put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half year contract with Middlesbrough.

The 25-year-old scored 85 times in 169 appearances for Rovers following his club record £8m move from Huddersfield Town in August 2012.

Huddersfield will receive the reminder of what they were owed for Rhodes as well as an initial £200,000 after inserting a clause entitling them to 20 per cent of any profit made on the striker.

Rhodes could make his Middlesbrough debut against Rovers when the clubs go head-to-head at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

A Rovers statement read: “Blackburn Rovers can confirm that Jordan Rhodes has finally agreed personal terms with Middlesbrough and has joined the Teesside club.”

The departure of Rovers’ biggest earner, who was on a basic wage of around £33,000 per week before bonuses, will now allow Lambert to rebuild his squad.

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And last night he made former Wigan Athletic playmaker Gomez, 30, his sixth signing of the window after Elliott Bennett, Simeon Jackson, Danny Graham, Elliott Ward and Tony Watt.

Lambert will attempt to make more additions when the emergency loan window opens later this month with a left-back, following the departure of Markus Olsson, and another creative attacker, after top target Aiden McGeady joined Sheffield Wednesday, who were believed to have offered better incentives on top of his wages, his priorities. 

Rovers stand to receive up to £1m from Derby County for Olsson and they also banked £243,000 for summer signing Fode Koita, who was on wages of £10,000 per week.

Fellow Frenchman Sacha Petshi also left the club last night to join Ligue 2 side US Créteil-Lusitanos on a permanent deal.

The midfielder did not make a single first-team appearance for Rovers following his arrival alongside Koita, also on a free transfer.

Midfielder John O’Sullivan, meanwhile, had his loan at League One Bury extended until the end of the season.