PAUL Gallagher could be heading out of Ewood Park on loan - and there's a clutch of Championship clubs ready to scramble for his services.

Telegraph Sport understands Blackburn boss Mark Hughes is willing to listen to inquiries for the young Scot, with Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City, Coventry and Preston North End among a posse of clubs eager to take him until the end of the season.

But Maceo Rigters' proposed move to Germany could be in danger of falling through at the 11th hour because Arminia Bielefeld - the club that want to take him on loan - are struggling to off-load players to make room for him in their wage structure.

Hughes is not keen on the idea of loaning out both Gallagher and Rigters, but if the latter's switch to the Bundesliga fails to materialise, then the Rovers boss would be willing to let Gallagher go out instead.

The 23-year-old has failed to even force his way onto the bench since returning from a loan spell at Preston earlier in the month and it is believed he would welcome the chance to get regular first-team football elsewhere.

Aside from the possibility of Gallagher and Rigters going out, Rovers chairman John Williams is expecting a fairly quiet day on the transfer front leading up to this evening's midnight deadline.

Williams and manager Mark Hughes have been inundated with phonecalls from agents offering them a host of players over the last few days but, at the time of going to press, none were deemed exciting enough to follow up.

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