BLACKBURN Rovers last night kept hold of top-scorer Rudy Gestede – as highly rated youngster John O’Sullivan agreed a new contract.

Midfielder O’Sullivan, 21, signed a new 18-month deal, tying him to the club until the summer of 2016, after Rovers rejected a bid from League One outfit Barnsley for his services.

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O’Sullivan was going into the final six months of his contract.

Rovers rejected a £3.5m offer for Gestede earlier in the transfer window from Crystal Palace.

The 26-year-old was also linked with a number of other Premier League clubs including Swansea City, West Brom, QPR and Hull City.

There was a possibility that attackers Josh King and Luke Varney could leave the club yesterday.

But interest in King, who was linked with QPR, never materialised.

Varney, who like King has six months left on his contract, was in talks with Championship rivals Millwall.

But the deal is thought to have collapsed.

Centre-back Jack O’Connell, 20, did leave Rovers for Championship rivals Brentford for a fee believed to be in the region on £250,000-£300,000.

Also departing the club was 22-year-old defender or midfielder Anthony O’Connor.

O’Connor, who had six months remaining on his Ewood Park contract, joined Plymouth Argyle on a permanent deal after spending the first half of the season on loan with the League Two outfit.

Rovers also paid up transfer-listed striker Jordan Slew.

The 22-year-old had six months remaining on the four-year deal, worth more than £10,000 per week, he penned after his £1.1m move from Sheffield United in August 2011.

Slew made just two appearances for Rovers both of which came in the 2011-12 season under then boss Steve Kean.

Striker Jordan Preston, meanwhile, signed for Ayr United on loan.

The 19-year-old, who has scored three goals in 12 appearances for Rovers U21s this season, will spend the rest of the campaign with the Scottish League One outfit.