BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has been given a ray of hope in his bid to land Leicester City midfielder Muzzy Izzet.
Souness feared all prospects of a deal might be dead after the Foxes rejected his offer of £500,000 for the 29-year-old last Friday.
But the player's agent, Jonathan Barnett, has refused to close the door on a transfer altogether by admitting that the Turkish international could still move during the January window.
"Obviously, he would have to be interested in all Premiership clubs," said Barnett. "Whether Leicester would be prepared to let him go or not, I don't know.
"He's out of contract at the end of the season so that may have some bearing regarding Leicester."
Barnett insists his client is in no rush to open talks about a new deal with the Foxes although the Premiership strugglers are still hopeful that their star player will stay at the Walkers Stadium.
But, with the club facing a fight for their top-flight status, Barnett admits that Izzet would like to put an end to all the uncertainty.
"He wants to get his future sorted out so we'll have to wait and see," said Barnett.
"I think it's too early to talk about a new deal with Leicester."
Leicester boss Micky Adams has made no secret of his desire to hang on to Izzet, even if it means losing him for free in the summer.
But if Rovers were to come back in with an improved offer and the player himself indicated he was keen to go then Adam's position might change.
In the meantime, Dino Baggio could seal a move back to Italy in the next 24 hours.
Agents working on behalf of the former Italian international are due to hold talks with officials from Ancona tomorrow.
And they are quietly confident a deal can be struck which would see the veteran midfielder return to Serie A.
"We know of this interest and, if a Serie A side call, we are attentive for sure because it could be an important development," said Claudio Pasqualin, Baggio's agent.
"Until now, we have spoken without defining possible details."
Baggio has struggled to make an impression in the Premiership since joining Rovers on a season-long loan from Lazio in August.
But despite his lack of first team opportunities, he would still be happy to stay in England for the remainder of the season if a move to Ancona didn't materialise.
"Dino feels good in England," said Pasqualin.
"Surely he isn't happy because he does not play a lot.
"But his intention is to stay here, obviously with clear guarantees."
Meanwhile, Rovers have made a second, improved offer for Aston Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman.
An initial bid was turned down by the Midlands club over the weekend but Rovers have since upped the ante and they are now waiting to hear if their second offer has been successful.
Spanish winger Javier De Pedro also remains a possible transfer target for Souness.
"We've had a meeting with intermediaries but nothing is happening at the moment," said Rovers' chief executive John Williams.
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