Reputable journalist Alan Nixon has dropped a claim involving Blackburn Rovers defender Darragh Lenihan. 

The lowdown: Lenihan at Blackburn

Signed from Belvedere FC in the Republic of Ireland in 2011, Lenihan has come through the youth ranks at Ewood Park and has amassed 252 senior appearances for the club.

Out of contract in the coming weeks (Transfermarkt), the 28-year-old has previously been linked with a sensational move to the Premier League, with as many as five clubs believed to be taking an interest in him.

As the end of the 2021/22 English campaign closes in, it appears that the Irishman's future in Lancashire remains in serious doubt...

The latest: Nixon drops Lenihan transfer claim

Taking to Twitter in response to a Blackburn supporter questioning whether a new deal could be forthcoming for the twice-capped ace, Nixon was quick to suggest that prospective suitors could come again.

He succinctly stated that there is “a lot of interest in Lenihan …”.

The verdict: Huge loss

Already set to lose manager Tony Mowbray, the sight of club captain and talisman Lenihan also moving on to pastures new would be a significant blow to Blackburn supporters.

During the season, the 'man mountain' (as Mowbray called him following a resounding 4-0 victory over Birmingham) scored three times and provided one assist in 41 Championship outings.

Overall, the Dublin-born centre-back earned an impressive 7.11 Sofascore rating in the league, making 1.5 interceptions, completing 4.1 clearances and winning eight duels on average per game.

If the mooted interest turns into something more tangible and a player of such importance leaves Rovers for free, it would be an undoubted loss to the squad, and whoever replaces Mowbray in the Ewood Park hot seat may have a tough task finding a reliable replacement for Lenihan.