BLACKBURN Rovers were last night locked in talks with Crystal Palace over the sale of top-scorer Rudy Gestede.

The 12-goal striker pulled out of the Rovers squad for Saturday’s Championship clash at Wigan Athletic after Palace firmed up their interest.

Gary Bowyer does not want to sell Gestede and has not been told he has to do so by owners Venky’s.

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But with the towering targetman keen to test himself in the Premier League the Rovers boss looks like he will have to.

However, a deal will only go through if Palace meet the price tag placed on Gestede’s head.

That is believed to be in the region of £5m.

Should Rovers receive that fee or close to it then it would represent a massive profit on a player who arrived at Ewood Park last January for £200,000 from Cardiff City.

Since then Gestede has scored 24 goals in 45 appearances with only Chesterfield’s Eoin Doyle finding the net more times than him in English league football in 2014.

The 26-year-old has also been linked with Hull City and West Brom since the transfer window opened.

But after Hull boss Steve Bruce, who had a £10m-plus bid for Gestede’s strike-partner Jordan Rhodes turned down in the summer, appeared to end his interest, his counterpart at Palace, Alan Pardew, stepped up his.

Bowyer confirmed after the 1-1 derby draw at Wigan that the Benin international did not travel because of the speculation surrounding his future.

He said: “Rudy was part of our preparations during the beginning of the week and then things changed. The club is in discussions with a Premiership club.

“If it’s not concluded over this weekend we expect him to come in on Monday, which he will do, and work as hard as he has done over the past 14 months, and prepare for the rest of the games we’ve got.

“Ever since he arrived we’ve worked hard with him and developed him and produced all the interest we now have in him.”

Bowyer will not be able to spend proceeds of any sales Rovers make this month on permanent signings after the club was hit by a ‘FFP embargo’ for failing Financial Fair Play.

He knows he has to continue to cut costs in an attempt to get the embargo lifted in the summer.

But he insists Rovers owners Venky’s will drive a hard bargain.

Bowyer, who is restricted to loans and free transfers this month, said: “One thing I will say is the Premiership clubs have to meet our valuation of any of our players as, even though we’ve got this embargo, the owners are very strong in saying the valuation has to be met. We saw that with Jordan Rhodes in August.

“They will stand by that. Any bids will have to be to the owners’ appreciation.”

Gestede’s place in Bowyer’s starting line-up on Saturday was taken by Chris Brown who was making his full league debut for Rovers after an injury-hit first six months with the club.

Defender Matt Kilgallon said: “Rudy is a great lad and has been brilliant for Blackburn but I think Browny can do just as good.

“He needs to get a bit fitter but you can see what he can do. He’s got a great touch and brings people into play.

“If Rudy does go, I wish him all the best because he deserves it for playing so well.”