Blackburn keen to keep hold of reported Sunderland transfer target

If Bradley Dack is a Sunderland transfer target, they may have to rethink it.

Blackburn boss Jon-Dahl Tomasson says reported Sunderland target Bradley Dack is still part of his plans at Ewood Park.

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray was in charge at Blackburn during Dack’s best spell for the club, although serious injuries have seriously derailed him over the last two years.

He is back now, but not getting many minutes for Blackburn, promoting reports that Mowbray will seek a reunion with the attacker in January.

Mowbray himself fed those rumours when the club’s met last month, saying: "He (Dack) looks really lean to me.

“He looks slim and ready. He tells me his physical data is the best it has ever been, better than before he got his injuries.

"I don't know what is going on, what I do know is he was probably the best player in the Championship two years ago. “

However, any deal with Sunderland or anyone else looks like a non-starter, with Blackburn apparently not ready to give up on the former Gillingham man.

Asked if Dack was still part of his plans at Blackburn, Tomasson replied: “Yeah, of course.

“A lot of people are forgetting, and I’ve said many times, they’re putting way too much pressure on the boy – he’s been away (injured) for two years.

“We would love to get him back in shape and on his right level because he’s brilliant for the club in that way. I’ve been injured a bit myself. Sometimes you can get back on the same level but sometimes you can’t.

“I can tell you a story, I had my last game at the World Cup. I tried to get back, a year, but it didn’t happen.

“We’re working on that and of course, for his last big injury, now he’s started games. He was not starting before that, we also need to take that into consideration. But we would love to have him on his high level.”