Is that it? Indians to give Rovers £5m transfer fund
BLACKBURN’S owner-in-waiting has moved quickly to smother any expectation that it may seek to restore Rovers to the peak of the top flight.
Venkateshwara Hatcheries, which is poised to complete a £46m takeover within days, says it does not expect to bother the Premier League’s elite.
The Indian poultry conglomerate added that it would provide a transfer kitty for the January window – but only a modest £5m.
Anuradha Desai, chairperson of the company commonly known as Venky’s, said: “We will pump in whatever is needed but the main thing is to get the club back into good shape. This is an investment and it will grow on its own strength.”
Confirming that manager Sam Allardyce would only receive a £5m budget for players, she added: “We won’t need to buy expensive players, we can always lease them. We don’t expect to be in the top five of the Premier League. We will be happy to be in the top 10 to 12.”
Blackburn, champions back in 1995, currently sit just one place above the relegation zone and face a daunting next fixture against current league leaders Chelsea on Saturday.
Desai hinted Allardyce would be given time to haul the team back up the table before any decisions were made on his job security.
“It is too early to say if we will make any changes either in the team or the management,” she said. “We want the club to do well and we intend to manage it properly.”
Venky’s is set to become the Premier League’s first Indian owners.