Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday are named as Jordan Rhodes suitors.
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka has finally admitted, via the Northern Echo, that Jordan Rhodes is for sale.
Boro paid a reported £9 million for Rhodes in January, with the former Blackburn Rovers striker scoring six goals as the Teessiders returned to the Premier League as Championship runners-up.
Rhodes has barely featured this season, however, and the Northern Echo reports the Riverside club will listen to offers of at least that this winter, with Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday set to battle it out.
“Jordan a player in this squad but if he wants to leave, if we receive the right offer from a club that wants to buy him, and we are happy with the deal, then fine,” Karanka said, as quoted by the Northern Echo. “But if he wants to stay here, he’s part of the squad and I’m happy. The market will see and always, once again, three parts have to be involved.”
Villa boss Steve Bruce is said to have courted Rhodes since his time in charge of Hull City, while the payer’s father, Andy, is Wednesday’s goalkeeping coach.
The Villans have used six different strikers this season, with another, Libor Kozak, yet to feature, prompting Bruce to suggest this week that some of them could leave the club next month.
Wednesday, on the other hand, recently lost top scorer Gary Hooper to a hamstring injury, although the return of Portugal striker Lucas Joao has boosted Carlos Carvalhal’s options.
Rhodes’ exit is likely to depend on who is either able or willing to match Middlesbrough’s asking price, however, and while Villa owner Tony Xia has reportedly promised funds in January, more of which could easily be generated through player sales, the Owls are believed to be skirting close to the Football League’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
Villa Park, Hillsborough or other? Where will Rhodes end up?
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