For much of the past few months, many Blackburn Rovers fans will have been preparing themselves for life without Ryan Nyambe from next season.

The Namibian international is currently set to see his contract at Ewood Park expire in the summer, and there had previously been little indication that he would sign a new deal, meaning his time with the club looked to be coming to an end.

Now however, it seems there is a chance that could yet change, after reports from the Lancashire Telegraph on Thursday, revealed that the player's representatives have now re-opened negotiations with Rovers about a potential new contract for the 24-year-old.

For many of a Blackburn persuasion, that will no doubt be welcome news, given Nyambe has emerged as one of the club's most reliable players over the past few years, and he is often missed on the right-hand side of their defence when unavailable.

Indeed, as a long-serving - he brought up his 200th appearance for the club last month - academy graduate, a new deal for the defender would no doubt be popular in that respect as well.

Besides those apparent benefits that a new contract for Nyambe would have for Blackburn, such a deal could also have a significant knock-on effect on some of the club's key summer transfer plans.

Back in the January transfer window, when suggestions of a summer departure for Nyambe were already starting to emerge, Rovers completed the loan signing of right-back Deyovaisio Zeefuik on loan from Hertha Berlin.

As part of that deal, Blackburn had apparently agreed a fee with Berlin, to make Zeefuik's loan move permanent in the summer should they wish to do so, meaning he did look to be the obvious first choice to replace Nyambe, were the Namibian to move on.

However, if Nyambe was to now put pen to paper on a new contract with Blackburn, there would seemingly be little need for the club to pursue such a deal for Zeefuik.

Given the Namibian would remain the club's first choice right-back if, as now seems to be a possibility, he stays at the club, and with Joe Rankin-Costello and James Brown, both of whom have long term contracts at Ewood Park, also capable of filling in that position, Rovers' would suddenly have plenty of options on that side of their defence.

With that in mind, it would then make little sense for Rovers to go out and spend more funds on another option in that position to sign Zeefuik, during a window where it seems there will be a greater need for reinforcement in the summer, and therefore a better use for those funds.

Indeed, with Zeefuik having managed just six appearances during what has been an injury-hit few months at Ewood Park, you feel the jury would be very much out over a permanent move for the Dutchman even if Nyambe was to move on.

This update on Nyambe however, only seemingly pushes Zeefuik closer to a return to Berlin, meaning that loan move is one that may looks likely to be left considered as one that simply did not work out.

But if that comes at the same as Nyambe agreeing to a new deal to extend his stay at Ewood Park, that is a trade-off you feel many Blackburn fans would be more than willing to take.