Chris Powell says the ongoing transfer speculation over former Huddersfield Town striker Jordan Rhodes highlights a growing economic disparity between Championship clubs.
The 25-year-old goal-getter, set to lead the Blackburn Rovers line at the John Smith’s Stadium, has been linked with a string of clubs this summer.
Middlesbrough are among them, with the Teessiders at one stage said to have been willing to pay £12m for the Scotland international sold for £8m by Town to Rovers three years ago.
The £4m purchase of Leicester City frontman David Nugent means Boro’s bid to bring in Rhodes, on whom Town have a 20% sell-on clause, might dwindle.
But Powell doesn’t see the transfer talk over the former Ipswich Town trainee subsiding.
He’s a big admirer of the player who scored 87 times for Town after being signed for £350,000 from the Suffolk side in July 2009.
Rhodes has registered 74 goals since swapping blue and white halves for blue and white stripes.
Six of them have come against Town, and Powell said: “I know what he did for our club and what he has done for Blackburn.
“He is sought after, and why wouldn’t he be, because he is a goalscorer.
“I’m surprised no Premier League club has come in for him. Everyone wants someone who can score goals.
“It seems a little strange that a lot of Premier League clubs will happily spend that kind of money on a player from abroad when there is a homegrown product like Jordan right under their noses.”
Powell reckons the fact that Middlesbrough and a £12m bid were mentioned in the same breath speaks volumes.
“There are clubs in this division who have financial muscle, and that’s what clubs like ourselves are up against,” he added.
“A club in our league are said to be able to spend £12m on one player while that’s probably the entire wage bill for half of dozen of us.
“We’re definitely leaning towards a two or even three-tier Championship.
“And the rise in parachute payments for teams coming down from the Premier League will only widen the existing gaps.
“The challenge for us is to be competitive, and it can be done.
“We played a former Premier League club in Hull City last Saturday.
“You look at their teamsheet and see an international goalkeeper in Allan McGregor.
“Then there’s Michael Dawson and Curtis Davies, who have both played a large part of their careers in the Premier League, in the centre of defence.
”With Tom Huddlestone in midfield and Nikica Jelavic up front, straight down the spine they are very strong.
“And only this week, they are being linked with deals of several million pounds.
“Yet for the large part, we were in the game.
“Our challenge is to keep doing that.”