Rudy Gestede is closing in on a move to the Australian A-League after being without a club since leaving Middlesbrough in June.

Gestede had a fine two years at Ewood Park, scoring 35 times between November 2013 and July 2015, but has found things tough since leaving the club.

Two £6m moves, first to Aston Villa and then Middlesbrough, have seen the Benin international start a combined 42 league fixtures, scoring 18 times in the last five years.

Having turned 32 earlier this month, Gestede is set to embark on a fresh challenge, with reports in both France and Australia saying he’s closing in on a move to Melbourne Victory.

There he would work under Steve Kean who has just been appointed as assistant manager. The pair didn’t work together at Rovers however, with Kean’s departure coming some 12 months before Gestede arrived, initially on loan from Cardiff, working solely under Gary Bowyer.

Should the move go through, then Gestede would be the second English-based player of the week to sign for Victory, Jacob Butterfield, who spent time training with Rovers last summer, has signed a contract after leaving Luton Town.

Gestede has previously been linked with a move to Indian side East Bengal.

Former Rover Matt Derbyshire will also be part of the A-League season when it gets under way in December.

Derbyshire opted to leave Omonia Nicosia after four years in Cyprus, where he has scored 59 goals to join up with Macarthur FC ahead of their inaugural season.