TUGAY is set to pledge his immediate future to Blackburn Rovers.

Manager Graeme Souness today revealed that the Turkish midfielder has told him he will sign a new deal to keep him at Ewood Park.

Tugay's agent flew out to Istanbul to meet the player with Blackburn's new offer, believed to be another one-year deal with the option of a possible extension.

Although he has not yet signed, Souness is banking on the 33-year-old putting pen to paper to end speculation about a possible move back to his first club, Galatasaray.

Souness said: "We haven't heard anything yet but I'm confident he will be signing because he told me last week he would be signing.

"I'm not sure it's happened yet, but I can't say any more than that because he's in Turkey at this time."

Tugay has been quoted in the Turkish press as saying he wants to end his career at the Ali Sami Yen and the club's director of football Ergun Gursay has made confident noises about prising him away from England.

The World Cup star spent 12 years with Galatasaray before leaving for Rangers, from where he joined Rovers in 2001.

However it now looks likely Tugay will put any return to his homeland on hold in favour of a new contract at Ewood.

His previous deal expired at the end of the season, but his upturn in form towards the end of the campaign, as Rovers fought off relegation from the Premiership, has convinced Souness to hold on to his services.

Meanwhile, Blackburn have had an official bid to land Norwegian international winger Morten Gamst Pedersen rejected.

Rovers yesterday submitted a written offer to Tromso for the 22-year-old but had it turned down.

Chief executive John Williams said: "Pedersen is obviously a player who has interested us so to have our offer rejected is disappointing."

Tromso look set to agree to sell Pedersen in the middle of their season, which ends in October, but there appears to be a stumbling block over the asking price.

Rovers value the sought-after winger, who they see as a permanent replacement for Damien Duff on the left, at around £1.5 million.

However, Tromso are unlikely to consider any offer in this region, as it is likely to fall £1 million short of their valuation of Pedersen.