Blackburn chairman John Williams insists a number of parties have expressed interest in buying the club.

Wealthy Indian businessman Ahasan Ali Syed has emerged as the latest candidate to launch a takeover after his investment company Western Gulf Advisory (WGA) made a formal approach to Blackburn's advisers at investment bank Rothschild.

Williams said: "There have been a number of interested parties for some time and discussions are ongoing."

WGA have a non-disclosure agreement about the talks but a company spokeswoman told The Sport Briefing: "I can confirm that we made a formal approach to buy Blackburn Rovers."

Syed's company WGA are based in Bahrain and Switzerland and the 36-year-old is a lawyer who studied at the London School of Economics. He is reported to be promising to clear the club's £20million debt and invest £300million to sustain the club over a long period of time.

A number of consortiums have contacted the Jack Walker Trustees over the last three years including one from ex-JJB Sports chief Chris Ronnie, and another based in Iceland.

In June another Indian entrepreneur, Saurin Shah, was reported as being prepared to bid for the club but for all the activity nothing has come close to a deal being done.

However, there is still business to be done. We remain determined to secure a new striker.
John Williams, Blackburn Rovers chairman.

Blackburn today announced a new long-term deal with Steven Nzonzi, the highly-regarded young French midfielder who made a big impact last season.

Nzonzi was the club's player of the year in his first season after arriving from Amiens, and the 21-year-old has signed an improved five-year contract which will keep him at Ewood Park until June 2015.

Rovers' chairman John Williams said: "We are delighted to secure Steven for the long term. He was outstanding last year - his first in this country - and the new deal is richly deserved. We hope he makes further progress and continues the fantastic form that impressed so many people last season.

"Along with the new contracts also agreed with the likes of Phil Jones, Martin Olsson and Grant Hanley, and the important re-contracting of Morten Gamst Pedersen, this represents further good progress for the club this summer.

"However, there is still business to be done. We remain determined to secure a new striker and I can assure all our supporters that our search continues in earnest in that regard."