BLACKBURN Rovers will reduce their £6.75 million offer for Dion Dublin if any other club is allowed to speak to the player on a cut-price basis, writes PETER WHITE.

Other clubs, notably Aston Villa, have intimated that they are prepared to pay just over £5 million and insist that gives them the right - under a clause in the player's contract - to negotiate with Dublin.

But Ewood chief executive John Williams insists Rovers will not be messed around and revealed today: "When the clause emerged, all we said was that if any other club was given permission to speak to him with a lesser bid, then our bid would come down accordingly.

"That is simply to make sure everything is on a level playing field.

"At the moment, I am told by Coventry chairman Bryan Richardson that we are the only club to have been given permission to speak to the player.

"We have made our offer to him and the situation, as far as we are concerned, has not changed."

Rovers, however, will not wait for ever as the wrangle, with Aston Villa and Newcastle having declared an interest, threatens to go to the courts.

There is a difference of opinion between Coventry's interpretation of the clause and that of the player's representatives.

Richardson believes any interested club have not only to bid £5 million or more but have also to agree a fee with Coventry before they can be allowed to speak to the player.

He has taken top legal advice and is sticking to his guns, insisting that Rovers are the only club to have fulfilled that requirement. The Ewood chief executive added: "We first went in with a bid of £5 million. That was rejected and we then negotiated the fee that was agreeable to both clubs."

Dublin's representative Struan Marshall said he could not make too much comment at the moment but he is clearly far from happy with the overall situation.

He said today: "We think we should have permission to speak to one or two others and I really cannot say much more than that at the moment.

"I am an optimist and would like to believe it can be sorted out quickly.

"Blackburn have made us a very respectable offer but that isn't really the central issue any more.

"There is a clause in the contract and that has not been respected with Blackburn and other clubs.

"As I understand it, Blackburn were rejected at £5.5 million.

"Blackburn have been brilliant to deal with and have been very professional but, unfortunately, things are not going to their timescale at the moment."

Dublin is widely reported to be on as much as £20,000 a week at Highfield Road. But I understand, from excellent sources, that the overall offer Rovers have made is a reasonable improvement on his present contract.

That shows their willingness to try to bring him to Ewood.

But they will not wait for ever.

"We do have a timescale and we do not want to hang around too long," said Williams.

To add even more intrigue to a complex situation a fourth club, believed to be Leeds, have expressed an interest in Dublin.

The way things are going, Rovers might have to turn their attentions elsewhere in their urgent search for re-inforcements.

Wimbledon are hoping to sign Blackburn-born Gareth Ainsworth for £2m from Port Vale today.

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