Blackburn Rovers are lining up a move for a rival Championship centre midfielder, according to Alan Nixon.

He revealed that Blackburn are "taking an interest" in Derby County's Bradley Johnson.

Johnson played 31 games in the Championship last season, scoring twice and assisting three times.

The 32-year-old has not been included in Derby's 26-man squad that is going for a 10-day training camp in Florida.

He is allegedly in talks with Derby surrounding his contract and the uncertain future he holds at the club, according to Derbyshire Live,

The report suggests that Johnson's contract was due to expire at the end of last season, but ended up signing a 12-month extension, at a much-reduced rate.

Derby are rumoured to be wanting to strike another deal with Johnson which suits both the club and the player, as right now the deal isn't suitable for Johnson.

However, if the deal cannot be agreed, it opens the market for the centre-midfielder.

The Verdict

Johnson is still more than capable at Championship level so I'm not surprised Tony Mowbray is going after him.

Mowbray seems to be targeting experienced players this window and Johnson fits the bill. He is an experienced head who did not look out of place in the higher echelons of the Championship.

For a player who has 211 Championship games under his belt, and 34 Championship goals he can be no harm to the team, and should be available on a reasonably modest wage and contract length considering his age.