Town set to reject £4m bid for striker Rhodes

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN are confident of holding on to Jordan Rhodes in the wake of Steve Kean confirming Blackburn Rovers have lodged a bid for the in-demand striker.

The 22-year-old is regarded as one of the hottest properties in the Football League after netting 40 goals for the Terriers last season.

Fulham and West Ham United, who failed with a £5m offer last January, continue to track Rhodes but it is Blackburn who have made the first move of the summer.

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Sources in Lancashire suggest the bid is in the region of £4m with another £2m to be paid if Rovers, who recently lost summer recruit Leon Best to a serious knee injury, win promotion to the Premier League.

To many in the Championship, such a sum might be tempting but the Yorkshire Post understands Huddersfield are unlikely to be tempted.

Town’s bargaining position is a strong one with Rhodes’s contract due to run until 2015 and Blackburn being in the same division next season.

Manager Simon Grayson is understandably keen to hang on to the striker, whose growing reputation in the game was yesterday underlined by a call-up to the Scotland senior squad for next week’s friendly against Australia at Easter Road.

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Barnsley have bolstered their squad with the signing of Polish midfielder Tomasz Cywka on a one-year contract.

Cywka, 23, has been a free agent since being released by newly-promoted Premier League club Reading earlier in the summer.

Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson has hailed as “immense” the capture of Nathan Doyle on a one-year deal following his release by Barnsley.

The arrival of the 25-year-old, who was named Player of the Year when on loan at Valley Parade in 2006-07, is particularly timely with injured Ricky Ravenhill having been ruled out for three months.

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Parkinson said: “I think he is perfect for what we need. He is an immense signing. We looked at things when we came back from (the pre-season tour of Northern) Ireland and I just felt we lacked a utility player.”

Doyle faces an intensive couple of weeks to be fit in time for the League Two season.

Rotherham United manager Steve Evans intends putting a strong side out for tonight’s final pre-season friendly against Evo-Stik First Division South side Stamford.

The Millers kick-off the new season against Hull City on Saturday, but Evans said: “In relation to Hull on Saturday there are a few positions that are still up for grabs.

“We are looking for certain players to produce some big performances tomorrow night.”