NEIL Lennon believes Blackburn Rovers are well within their rights to hold out for top dollar for star striker Jordan Rhodes.

The Wanderers boss is keeping his fingers crossed the Scotland international fails to shake off a knee problem in time to feature in tonight’s derby at Ewood Park.

Lennon was priced out of a deal for Rhodes back in his Celtic days and couldn’t in his wildest dreams imagine bidding the kind of cash Rovers are now asking for the former Huddersfield Town man.

Middlesbrough and Sunderland have been strongly linked with the 25-year-old with fees upwards of £12million being thrown about in the tabloids.

It is a different world for Lennon, existing at present on loans and freebies on a tighter-than-tight budget at the Macron Stadium.

But he does not disagree with Rovers’ valuation for a player who has consistently delivered the goods at Championship level.

“At this level he’s a quality player and at this level he’s a real asset because he’s a quality goalscorer,” he told The Bolton News.

“He’s scored consistently for a long time, so from our point of view I hope he doesn’t make it.

“You see some of the fees being bandied about and I think Blackburn have got every right to ask for that sort of money. I think they’ve already turned down some big bids.

“They realise what an important asset it is to the club.”

Lennon’s last line-up against Nottingham Forest contained just one player signed for a cash fee – and that was by Gary Megson, who picked up Mark Davies for £1million from Wolves back in 2009.

Blackburn are currently under an embargo for breaching Financial Fair Play rules, leaving Gary Bowyer also finding life tough in the transfer market.

But as prices sky-rocket even outside the Premier League, Lennon insists he cannot get side-tracked wondering ‘what if?’

“I think with some clubs they’ve got new money and their determination is to make an impact on the Championship and then get to that holy grail of the Premier League where the finances are infinitely higher. They are speculating to accumulate,” he said.

“I can’t look too much into it. I don’t get bogged down with the size of fees, I just look at the player and think about how we manage them.

“I can’t get too much caught up in the razzmatazz.

“I just want to build a sequence of results, start moving up the table, get a consistent team on the pitch week in, week out.

“I honestly think we’ve got the good core of a team.

“We have improved defensively on last year and look comfortable.

“We do need to improve in front of goal and we have signed players who need to settle. I think Wellington Silva will get better.

“We’ve signed Jose Manuel Cosado now and he’ll add to the quality in the squad, so there’s a lot to be optimistic about.”

Lennon has sympathy for his opposite number Bowyer, who remains under considerable pressure despite reports of his sacking last weekend proving to be incorrect.

Both sides have identical records going into the derby and the Whites boss is expecting his opponents to be well up for the game.

“There will be no quarter given, that’s for certain,” he said. “Blackburn haven’t had the best of starts either so they will want to go into the international break in a better frame of mind as well.

“They are a physical side who work well at set pieces and they’ve got a manager in Gary Bowyer who I think has done a fantastic job.

“It’s been a tough time for him just late, with FFP making it difficult and losing players like Gestede doesn’t help you at all.

“But he steadied the ship there and I think he’s done well. I saw the reports the other day and I’m glad they’re not true. It’s too early in the season and I don’t think he deserves it anyway.”

Wanderers have no new injury worries ahead of the game, with Derik Osede unlikely to play a part in the squad despite returning to training this week.

Liam Trotter has also recovered from a hamstring injury, while David Wheater and Max Clayton are also nearing a return.