Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has refused to rule out a return to the club for Jack Rodwell, despite talks over the midfielder's future continuing at a tentative pace with the player now in Australia.

Rodwell joined Rovers on a one year contract last August following his departure from Sunderland at the end of the 2017/18 season, and went onto make 22 appearances in all competitions for the Lancashire side, scoring once.

The former England international has been in talks about his future for sometime now, but it appears there may still be some way to go until a conclusion is reached, as Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph: “Jack’s been away to be honest.

“He’s been in Australia. His agent has been in contact but there’s nothing concrete. It’s more a case of waiting until he gets back and then we’ll see where it goes.

“I haven’t ruled it out and said ‘we’re definitely not signing Jack Rodwell’.  It’s an opportunity. If it’s something he wants to do and maybe we can facilitate it then I wouldn’t rule it out.

“But it’s not something that’s imminent.”

Discussing Rodwell's aims for next season if he chooses to return to Ewood Park, Mowbray added: “I like Jack Rodwell as a lad, I’m not sure what his expectation and ambition is but if he comes back he has to try and start.

“His talent should be getting him in the team."

It was previously reported by the Lancashire Telegraph that Serie A sides Torino and Sassuolo were also taking an interest in signing Rodwell, although it remains to be seen whether either of those sides will be making a move for the 28-year-old.

The Verdict

I'd be cutting my losses with Rodwell and ending the interest right now if I was Rovers.

If the midfielder really wanted to return to the club then you feel that he would have sorted out some sort of deal by now, and you don't imagine he'd be heading off to Australia without having something concrete in place at the very least.

In all fairness to Rodwell, the club haven't exactly covered themselves in glory here either. They've known for some time that a situation like this could potentially arise, and yet they appear to have allowed his contract to expire without taking any kind of steps to establish Rodwell's plans for the future, or if they themselves even what him back at the club.

Despite all of that, I'm not convinced Rovers need him regardless. Rodwell's return to his more natural midfield position towards the end of the season suggests the club don't believe he can do enough in defence to warrant a place there, and with five central midfielders already on the books at the club, bringing another one back almost feels like it would be wasting a space in the squad, and a chunk of the wage budget.