BLACKBURN Rovers have vowed to ‘“fight tooth and nail” to prevent an Ewood Park exodus this summer after Phil Jones’ move to Manchester United was finally confirmed yesterday.

The initial £16.5million deal could eventually land Rovers a club record fee of more than £20m if a number of add-ons come into effect in the future.

Defiant owners Venky’s are now determined to keep hold of the rest of their squad with a number of clubs understood to be ready to test their resolve with bids for Chris Samba.

Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as realistic rivals to Arsenal for the giant defender’s signature, with both ready to offer in the region of £10million for his services.

A number of clubs are also understood to be interested in Canadian starlet Junior Hoilett, with the winger yet to extend his current contract that expires next summer.

Having failed in their efforts to keep Jones at Ewood, including an offer to make him the club’s highest paid player, Rovers are now adamant they will do everything to keep the rest of their squad together.

Manager Steve Kean said: “The owners were fantastic with me in the January window.

"They backed me by giving players new long-term contracts.

"Chris Samba is one of these on a five-year deal.

“We are protecting our investments. I will go back and have a meeting with our senior players on July 1 when we are back. We will fight off as many bids as we can.

“Because when you are moving well as a club and playing well, which we certainly did at the end of the season, you are going to attract interest from the bigger clubs.

“We were excellent at the end of the season and are going to get interest but the owners are going to fight tooth and nail with myself to keep hold of our best players.”

Venky’s are understood to be highly disappointed to have lost Jones, after a £16.5million release clause left the owners with no choice but to sell at that price if the player wanted to leave.

Sources from United are adamant the deal has not changed since it was initially agreed last Wednesday, despite days of wrangling.

Rovers though are claiming their attempts to raise the fee were successful and point to the ‘potential club record fee’ as evidence they got nearer their valuation of the player.

Kean said: “I sat down with Phil last week and we had offered him the biggest deal in Blackburn history.

"It quickly became apparent it was not about money and that was understandable to a certain extent.

“Phil wanted to play Champions League football and he wanted that now.

"We are not at that level yet, although I'm sure we will be in the coming years.

“We gave it a real good fight, a fantastic offer but I understand why he wants to go now.

"With all the bits and pieces, obviously contracts are very, very complicated, but with the games he will play and different bits and bobs it will go above £20million, so it is a very, very good fee.

“That never detracted from the fact the owners wanted to keep him.

"I am sure Phil and his representative will verify this but the offer we made him was staggering for a 19-year-old.

"That is what we thought of him.

“It was not about the money, though. Maybe in the future he will come back but he goes with our blessing.”

Kean also confirmed he would receive all the money from the Jones transfer to help boost his squad, with Swede Sebastian Larsson a potential early target.