Striker Roque Santa Cruz was linked with most clubs as was David Bentley, but there was one player Rovers fans knew it was more important to keep a hold of than any other, Brad Friedel.
Their loss, however, was Aston Villa's gain. In Friedel's short spell at Villa it becomes increasingly apparent week after week just why he was so very highly regarded at his previous club.
Travelling back to his old stomping ground on Saturday, for the first time since the move, he had steadied the Villa defence immeasurably from the fragile outfit it so often was last season.
At fault for possibly only one goal this season (Obafemi Martin's strike at St James's Park), Friedel's popularity at Villa Park has continued to grow and grow. He is definitely a far cry from Villa's net custodians of recent seasons.
He also went back to Ewood Park chasing a Champions League place for his current employers but his former team mates had found a bit of resolve under the stewardship of new boss Sam Allardyce and Friedel would have been expecting a severe test.
In Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts, Blackburn possess two strikers who could dent Villa's aspirations and have the firepower to keep any goalkeeper on their toes.
But, the game itself petered out into nothing more than target practice for Villa though as they walked away comfortable two goal winners and Friedel himself was no more than a relative spectator.
Having to make just one save throughout the entire 90 minutes, the Ameician also watched a Santa Cruz shot whizz past his right hand post following some slack defending from Curtis Davies.
Nevertheless, Friedel can consider his day a major success - he claimed an eleventh clean sheet in the Premiership and Villa moved into the top the three in the league following Chelsea's home draw with Hull.
While Friedel would be the first to admit he had a very quiet day at the office; it cannot be overlooked in any way how his constant communication has helped shape his defence this year, how his self assurance assures those around him and how his move from Blackburn to Villa in August has spoken volumes of just how much of a difference, even at 37, he can make to a team.
Villa sit third whereas Blackburn are third last. That speaks volumes doesn't it?