David Bentley has been in outstanding form this season

The 22-year-old former England under-21 star has been in outstanding form this season and had been linked with a move to Manchester United.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes said: "He is a great talent with a big future and we are delighted to have signed him up for the long-term."

He signed from Arsenal in January 2006 and has scored six times this season.

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Hughes added: "David has really blossomed this season to produce a consistently high level of performance."

Chairman John Williams added: "David is widely regarded as one of the best young footballers in the country and this represents a very significant deal for the club, underpinning out determination to continue to move forward with ambition."