NORWEGIAN international Tore Reginiussen is a January target for Blackburn Rovers as Paul Ince looks to provide his injury-hit squad with a much-needed New Year boost.

The Tromso defender will arrive at Ewood Park this weekend and is due to spend four days in Lancashire as the club close in on cementing their first signing for 2009.

Tromso have confirmed the 22-year-old is keen on a move to Rovers and say the player will undergo a medical during his stay in England, after impressing scouts over the last couple of months.

Coming from the same Norwegian outfit as Morten Gamst Pedersen arrived from in 2004, Rovers are hopeful their past links with Tromso puts them in pole position for his signature.

Championship high-flyers Birm-ingham City are also believed to be tracking the defender but the Lancashire Telegraph understand Reginiussen has his heart set on following Pedersen to Ewood.

Still with a year left on his Tromso contract, the versatile defender would command a transfer fee believed to be in the region of £2million.

Rated as the best defender in the Norwegian top flight though, Rovers believe they could have a bargain on their hands having previously landed Ryan Nelsen and Chris Samba on cut-price deals.

Reginiussen started his career at hometown club Alta, before signing for Tromso in January 2006 after turning down offers from several other Norwegian clubs.

He was voted supporters’ player of the year after his first season at Tromso and made his Norway senior debut earlier this year.

The defender, who can also play in central midfield, scored in the 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland in August and has been a Rovers target since the start of the campaign.

Tromso director Tom Bendiksen, said: “We are going to arrange the possibility for a transfer for Tore, and it might as well be to Blackburn. We have a nice and positive relationship to that club.”

Their Director of Football Morten Kræmer, added: “We are pleased that Tromsø Football club have players who are considered attractive in big, european clubs.”

Rovers chairman John Williams has confirmed the 22-year-old is just one of several foreign players expected to be put through their paces in the next couple of weeks as the club look to halt a slide down the Premier League table.

Paul Ince’s scouting network have been scouring leagues worldwide in a bid to unearth the latest gem, with the club unable to match the spending power of the majority of their top-flight rivals.