GRAEME Souness today warned David Dunn he's got to be ready to fight for his shirt with Rovers next season if his move to Birmingham City falls through.

Dunn is currently a £5.5million target for Blues boss Steve Bruce, who is desperate to take him to St Andrews this summer.

However, if the two clubs fail to strike a deal then Dunn will be back at Brockhall for pre-season training.

And Souness has told the England midfielder he expects him to be fired up and ready to give 100 per cent to the cause.

"What Dunny has to realise is he's still got a contract with us and if things don't work out the way he wants them to, then he's got to come back here and give us everything in pre-season training and try and fight his way back into the team," said Souness.

"I don't want to see him coming back here with a pert lip. He's got to be ready to give us 100 per cent."

Souness and Dunn have endured a rocky relationship during the last six months after the manager publicly questioned the player's attitude in January and admitted he was ready to listen to offers.

That alerted Bruce who formally tabled a £5.5 million offer last month but the two clubs have still to agree the terms of a deal because City only want to pay around £3.5 million up front.

The Midlands club are still optimistic a compromise can be reached and if the transfer goes through then Souness has already earmarked a replacement.

Rovers recently had an offer of £2 million rejected for Millwall midfielder Steven Reid.

But I can reveal Souness has also got his eye on a more established target and he will make his move if he banks the money from Dunn's sale.

West Ham's Trevor Sinclair is the latest player to be linked with a move to Ewood but Souness wants a central midfielder to replace Dunn and provide competition for both Tugay and Garry Flitcroft.

Meanwhile, young striker Marc Richards looks poised to join Northampton Town on a free following his release by Rovers.

Richards spent several months on loan at Swansea last season and the Welsh club were keen to sign him permanently.

However, the England Under 20 international looks to have opted to join the Cobblers instead, who finished bottom of the Second Division last term.