EWOOD exile Ciccio Grabbi could be heading back to Italy in a cut-price deal.

I can reveal that Rovers are currently in talks with a Serie A club about a possible deal for the 28-year-old misfit.

Grabbi, a £6.75 million signing from Ternana two and a half years ago, has hardly figured in the Rovers first team this season.

His last start came in the second leg of the club's ill-fated UEFA Cup clash with Genclerbirligi in October.

Since then, he has slipped even further down the pecking order, to the point where he has now become Rovers' fifth choice striker following the emergence of Academy starlet Paul Gallagher.

Rovers know they will have to cut their losses on the player to stand any chance of off-loading him.

But it's a price they are willing to pay in order to get the former Juventus striker off the wage bill as Grabbi still has 18 months left to run on a lucrative contract.

"We are in discussions with an Italian side about a deal for Ciccio," confirmed Rovers' chief executive John Williams today.

"I think they would be quite interested in taking him but there's a long way to go in negotiations yet."

Grabbi, pictured left, has attracted interest from clubs on the continent before but he has never managed to secure a permanent move away from Rovers.

Meanwhile, Ipswich Town are still trying to set-up a deal to take Alan Mahon to Portman Road on a permanent basis.

But the Tractor Boys could face competition from one of their First Division rivals as another club have also been in touch with Rovers about Mahon.

Former Ewood favourite Kevin Gallacher will be signing copies of the new book 'Rovers now and then' in Sainsbury's in Darwen today.

Gallacher will be in the store between 3:30pm and 5pm this afternoon.