Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has turned down an approach from Sunderland for midfielder Robbie Savage. The 33-year-old has fallen out of favour with Hughes this season and has been left out of the Rovers side for the last three matches.

Hughes told BBC Radio 5 Live: "At the moment the valuation we have placed on Robbie hasn't been met. Whether Sunderland meet that or other clubs, who have expressed an interest, meet it, we'll have to wait and see."

Former Wales international Savage, who joined Rovers from Birmingham in 2005, is competing with Republic of Ireland international Steven Reid, Aaron Mokoena and Tugay for one of two midfield berths.

"Robbie wants to play week-in week-out and I can't guarantee that," Hughes added. "If a situation arises that I feel will benefit us and Robbie is comfortable with that decision and wants to do it, we'll look at it. But no one is forcing Robbie Savage out of the club. He knows that.

"It's well documented Sunderland have expressed an interest, although up to now they have not met our valuation of Robbie.

"They may well do that in the next couple of days and then we will make a decision, although other clubs have expressed an interest so it is not cut and dried at the moment."

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has denied making an approach for the veteran midfielder but revealed he is close to signing a new player.

"We are hopeful, certainly with one player signing in the next 24 hours," he said. "Hopefully that will then get the ball rolling for us to get in one or two more. We know where we are short at the moment, and that's why we are looking to try and strengthen."

Frustrated Keane is tired of trotting out the same old hard luck story following matches.

That was again the case after Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Blackburn at Ewood Park which saw Sunderland drop back into the Premier League relegation zone.

After watching his side suffer a ninth away defeat in 11 matches this season, Keane indicated his patience is running out.

"It's a learning curve for everybody but the penny has to drop. We can't keep having the same conversations where we are saying 'there's something there for us, and we should take it'.

"I'm also sick of saying the same things to the media because we felt we deserved something, but we ended up with nothing. We had a chance of pulling further away from the relegation zone, but these opportunities keep slipping away," he added.

"Come the end of the season I hope we're not left regretting it.

"We could all see Blackburn were there for the taking, but we didn't take our chance, and we've not been good enough to take it.

"I'm not asking for sympathy and I'm not blaming anybody, but we had a chance and we didn't take it."