Blackburn Rovers will not be signing Daniel Ayala, with the defender set to take up interest from Saudi Arabia rather than remaining in the Championship.  

Tony Mowbray is on the lookout for defensive reinforcements ahead of a potential play-off push in the Championship with Rovers, but it looks like any deal to bring Ayala to Lancashire is dead in the water.

Rich Sharpe at the Lancashire Telegraph has backed up reports from the Telegraph that Ayala won’t be heading to Ewood Park this summer, with an unnamed Saudi Arabian team turning his head.

Quiz: Do you know what club these 9 ex-Blackburn Rovers academy graduates are at now?

Ayala is a free-agent after leaving Middlesbrough earlier in the summer.

The 29-year-old had been at the Riverside Stadium since 2014 and had played for the Teessiders in both the Championship and Premier League.

During his time in the North East, the former Liverpool and Norwich City defender won promotion and made a whopping 216 appearances under a variety of managers.

Last season, the Spaniard managed 25 appearances in the Championship under Jonathan Woodgate, but he didn’t feature after the 2-0 win over Preston North End on New Year’s Day.

Neil Warnock eventually replaced Woodgate at the struggling Boro during the run-in, with the veteran boss guiding the club to safety.

The Verdict  

Centre-back is an area that Blackburn need to strengthen this summer, and Ayala would have been a good signing.

However, it appears to money is talking here and Ayala will be turning his back on the Championship.

Focus at Blackburn will be on tomorrow’s clash with Bournemouth, but the transfer window runs into next month and Mowbray will know the need to get a centre-back in ahead of the winter.

Thoughts? Let us know!