Swansea set for Jordan Rhodes raid as Rovers also losing Rudy Gestede

Swansea City, odds-on at 8/11 with Coral for a top 10 Premier League finish this term, are looking at Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes, and the Ewood Park outfit could also lose his attacking partner Rudy Gestede to Crystal Palace.

Today’s press reports claim that Swans scouts have identified Scotland striker Rhodes, 24, as an ideal replacement for Wilfried Bony, and Rovers are having to operate under a transfer embargo, which precludes them from making any permanent signings, because of Financial Fair Play breaches.

Premier League pair Swansea and Palace are prepared to capitalise on this by taking Rhodes and French-born Benin international Gestede to the Liberty Stadium and Selhurst Park respectively. The Eagles have been quoted a fee of £5m for 26-year-old Gestede, while Blackburn are likely to demand more from Garry Monk’s men for Rhodes, as they have sold top scorer Bony for a price that could rise to £28m.

This top-flight interest in Gary Bowyer’s strike pairing will almost certainly result in a lengthening of Blackburn’s promotion odds, which currently sit at 25/1 (Rovers are also 7/1 shots to finish in a play-off place).

A curious trio of transfers could be completed if Eagles boss Alan Pardew remains interested in unsettled Swans target man Bafetimbi Gomis. Blackburn paid £8m to land Rhodes from Huddersfield, and have reportedly rejected bids in excess of that in previous windows.

Gestede is Rovers’ top scorer with a dozen strikes in the Championship, and only joined them permanently from Cardiff City in January of last year. Rhodes, meanwhile, has nine for Blackburn this term.

Should both their star strikers be sold, it would likely mean a change of shape for Rovers, with much-travelled frontman Chris Brown playing a lone striker role, with the likes of Craig Conway, Josh King, Ben Marshall and Luke Varney supporting him from wide.

Pardew is keen on overhauling the Palace attack, which may see Glenn Murray sold to Reading following a loan spell there. The Eagles are 9/2 relegation chances.