MARK Hughes is weighing up a free transfer move for experienced Swiss inter-national midfielder Johann Vogel.

The 30-year-old, who is set to star at this summer's Euro 2008 Championships, has been training with Rovers for the last few days with a view to landing a deal.

The 94-capped anchorman is available for nothing after leaving former club Real Betis by mutual agreement in December following a miserable year in Spain.

He failed to make a single appearance for the Primera Liga side this season, and is now desperate to get his career back on track in England.

Sunderland were linked with the former PSV Eindhoven and AC Milan star earlier this year and he has previously been a target for Everton.

But manager Hughes may feel Vogel will add some much-needed strength to his squad as Rovers make their push for a coveted European place this season.

Some Blackburn supporters were disappointed that the club failed to replace Robbie Savage in the January transfer window.

However, Hughes has always maintained that he would only sign players who he felt were capable of stepping straight into the first-team.

Given his credentials at domestic and international level, Vogel, who celebrates his 31st birthday on Saturday, would certainly appear to have the pedigree to do that.

Furthermore, as a free agent, he would not command a fee, and Hughes has built up a good track record of snapping up bargains in the transfer market, such as Ryan Nelsen, Chris Samba and David Bentley.

Born in Geneva, Vogel began his career at Swiss amateur side FC Meyrin before establishing a reputation as a promising defender at Grasshoppers.

He earned his first Switzerland cap in 1995 and, four years later, joined PSV where he was converted into a defensive central midfielder, forging a successful partnership with Philip Cocu and Mark van Bommel which took the Dutch side all the way to the Champions League semi-finals in 2005, where they eventually lost to AC Milan.

That summer, he joined Milan, but failed to command a regular first-team place, joining Betis 12 months later.

A versatile and experienced player, Vogel played in the Euro 1996 and Euro 2004 finals, and captained Switzerland during the World Cup finals in 2006.

He will now be looking to represent his country in this summer's Euro 2008 finals, to be held in Switzerland and Austria.