Rovers face a fight to keep holding of top scorer Adam Armstrong as West Ham and Fulham step-up their pursuit of the striker.

West Ham are long-term admirers of Armstrong, and are set to be in the market for a striker this summer, while Fulham will be keen to make a quick return to the flight and struggled for goals all season.

That has led to interest in Armstrong, with the future of their star striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, less than certain. 

The Lancashire Telegraph understands that both clubs will consider bids during the close season, while Brighton and Everton are also monitoring the situation with the 24-year-old.

It is understood that sides will need to stump up at least £20m to prise Armstrong away from Rovers after a goal-laden season that saw only former Newcastle team-mate Ivan Toney, now with Brentford, outscore him.

Armstrong has a year left on his contract after signing from Newcastle United in 2018, but Rovers haven’t given up hope of the striker extending his stay beyond next summer, and will make a final push to try and keep hold of their star man who scored 28 Championship goals last season.

His former club, Newcastle, have a 40 per cent sell-on clause in any possible sale, and that could see them make a move for the striker who has also spent time on loan at Coventry City and Barnsley.

Armstrong has played 160 times for Rovers since signing on loan in January 2018, scoring 64 times. Forty of those have come since the start of 2020, with Armstrong netting three hat-tricks, including successive ones at Ewood Park in big wins over Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City to close out the campaign.

Manager Tony Mowbray says after the final day win that transfer interest in Armstrong this summer would be understandable and inevitable.

“That’s fine, so they should, they’re not doing their job if they’re not looking at Adam Armstrong,” Mowbray said.

“That’s out of my control. For Adam’s sake let’s hope the phone rings and someone offers us a ridiculous amount of money, we shake him by the hand and we say go and bang in loads of goals in the Premier League and we’ll use some of that money in the team and can find another striker who can bang loads of goals in.

“That’s football, that’s happened since the game started. He’s shown what a talent he is.

“Let’s keep rolling, see what the summer brings for Adam and the team.”