Blackburn Rovers negotiated a deal that would have seen Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien move to Ewood Park permanently for £8.8m at the end of the season if they had been promoted, according to the BBC.

The 24-year-old was the subject of interest from several Championship teams last month with Carlos Corberan previously reported to have been keen on sealing a reunion with the midfielder at West Bromwich Albion.

Middlesbrough and Sheffield United were also linked with a move for him, though the latter probably didn't make an approach in the end with Sander Berge staying at Bramall Lane beyond the deadline.

Boro, meanwhile, had moved for Dan Barlaser and that potentially allowed Blackburn Rovers to lead the race, with Jon Dahl Tomasson's side looking as though they had secured his signature.

However, they failed to get a deal over the line in time and with this, the EFL blocked this switch with Rovers now facing the prospect of spending the remainder of the season without him at their disposal.

An appeal has been lodged by the Lancashire outfit though and according to the BBC, they will spend £8.8m to recruit him permanently at the end of the season if they are promoted and their appeal is successful.

That's contrary to the £10m figure that has been reported elsewhere.

The Verdict:

£10m seems steep for a player that hasn't been able to make too much of an impact in the top flight this term, so £8.8m is a slightly better deal for Rovers.

However, that probably won't make too much of a difference because they will have the license to spend a very decent amount of money, though they should still be looking to strike the best deal possible for players.

£8.8m does seem like a hefty fee still - but considering he was one of the best players in the second tier last season - Blackburn may not have too many complaints about the amount they may need to fork out.

Considering his age, there's still a chance he could become a much more financially valuable player, although he does need to prove himself in the top flight first.

In fairness to him, he has just been the victim of Forest's recruitment drive over the past couple of windows and would probably get a chance to impress at the top level if a deal goes through and Blackburn do manage to secure a top-tier return.

Not many people are optimistic about this appeal being successful though.