Blackburn Rovers are apparently planning to chat with former Oxford United manager Gary Rowett about the potential of the 51-year-old taking over at Ewood Park, amid interest from his former side Leicester City.

That is according to an article by Alan Nixon, which was published on Patreon on Saturday evening, only hours after Rovers and the Foxes’ respective disappointing campaigns continued with away defeats.

After parting ways with Valerien Ismael on Deadline Day, the East Lancashire club defeated the Championship’s crisis club, Sheffield Wednesday, in midweek at Ewood Park, but were beaten 2-0 by a resurgent Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday lunchtime.

Blackburn’s latest defeat, combined with West Bromwich Albion’s goalless draw with Stoke City at The Hawthorns, saw the East Lancashire club rejoin the Owls and Oxford in the second tier’s relegation zone, while Leicester are now level on points with them after receiving a six-point deduction on Thursday afternoon following a lengthy period of uncertainty caused by financial breaches.

The East Midlands club parted ways with Marti Cifuentes following a 2-1 loss to Oxford on January 24th, and they have struggled to regain any momentum under interim manager Andy King.

Indeed, after losing 2-0 to Charlton Athletic last Saturday, Leicester were narrowly defeated by Birmingham City at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park over the weekend, leaving them just outside the relegation zone on goal difference with 15 games remaining in the season.

As a result, both Blackburn and Leicester are still looking for their next permanent manager, with Damien Johnson and the aforementioned King approaching the end of their interim stints.

Rovers, on the other hand, are seeking to add to the Foxes’ recent agony by appointing the immensely experienced Rowett as quickly as possible following a number of disappointments in their own managerial hunt.

Blackburn Rovers seek to beat Leicester City to Gary Rowett’s managerial appointment.

According to Nixon’s aforementioned update, the Blackburn hierarchy intends to meet with Rowett within the next 48 hours in order to conclude their search for Ismael’s permanent successor as soon as possible in order to gain a competitive advantage in the fight to avoid relegation to League One.

The Bromsgrove native has been out of job for just over a month, having been removed of his duties by Oxford on December 23rd, and will be replaced by current U’s boss Matt Bloomfield at the start of January 2026.

Nixon claims that Rowett has emerged as Blackburn’s preferred contender for the role, and that the two parties will meet for official talks as soon as feasible.

However, there are apparently two difficulties that must be resolved before the former Derby County, Stoke, and Millwall manager can be confirmed as the next manager at Ewood Park.

The most notable of these is the North West club’s ability to stave off interest from Leicester, when it was claimed that Rowett was one of the Foxes’ first choices for the position, with current Hearts manager Derek McInnes.

It has also been claimed that the length of contract sought by either party could be a sticking point, with Blackburn content with offering a short-term contract, whereas the 51-year-old is looking for a long-term project if he returns to management in a timely manner.

This comes after it was claimed on Saturday that former West Ham United, West Brom, and Watford manager Slaven Bilic had declined an approach, citing a desire to avoid a mid-season appointment.

Gary Rowett’s expertise could benefit Blackburn Rovers in their relegation struggle.

With Rovers in a dire situation, a manager with Rowett’s expertise could be just what they need to guide them to safety in the final weeks of the season.

However, there is no disputing that it could be a difficult task, despite the fact that the club has a lot of individual talent, including Todd Cantwell.

However, as Nixon notes, it remains to be seen whether they can navigate their way over the two stumbling blocks, which might allow Leicester to capitalize.