Villanueva Has Options

Blackburn Rovers' on loan star Carlos Villanueva will definitely be leaving Audax Italiano in the summer, but it's still unsure if this move will see him moving to Ewood Park permanently.

Rovers have an option to buy the 23-year-old on a three-year contract for a fee understood to be around £5 million (which is unlikely to be paid), however, at the moment it's not looking like Sam Allardyce is going to take up this option despite Villanueva's desire to remain at Ewood. Audax Italiano chairman Claudio Tessa claims that the Chilean International has options with several clubs having already shown an interest with the club receiving two firm offers from unnamed clubs, one European based.

Tessa told La Tercera: "There is a lot of movement around Carlos' situation. We have already received several offers for his transfer. Two of them are concrete, one is from Europe and the other is from another continent.

"One of them wants to negotiate and arrange everything at once.

"Our idea is to wait a little bit longer because we know that Carlos has a good reputation. But if something very important appears, we can agree to arrange a deal at once.

"Carlos' idea is to stay in England. I was with Carlos in February and he told me he wanted to stay in England, but we will see what happens. I suppose he will stay in Europe."

Villanueva has struggled to force his way into Allardyce's thoughts despite most of us thinking he is ideally suited to a role in the side at the moment, although he did show some touches of class after coming on as a substitute in the recent defeat against Stoke City. Maybe this will see him now given a starting role against Wigan Athletic? However, it still appears unlikely that Rovers will be signing him in the summer?


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