Blackburn Rovers boss John Eustace has identified some of his former players as targets in the Championship side’s recruitment drive this summer, with the former Blues boss said to have the final say on the club’s incomings this summer.
Former loan players, as well as a current member of the Birmingham City squad, have been named as possibilities to join Eustace at Ewood Park before the transfer window slams shut next week.
While Rovers struggled for results and goals last season, a dilemma which saw them slip down the table away from the playoff places they had once targeted, this season has started positively under the guidance of Eustace, who was let go from his role at St Andrew’s last season in controversial fashion.
Which players has the Blackburn Rovers boss identified?
According to a report through Alan Nixon’s Patreon (paywall), Eustace wants new faces in the setup and wants to have a say on the incomings they manage this summer. Four positions have been targeted. These are striker, goalkeeper, midfielder, and winger and former players for Eustace are said to be potential targets.
The club await an answer for a loan deal for Newcastle keeper John Ruddy this summer, with the former Norwich man leaving Blues at the end of his contract in July. Meanwhile, Birmingham City hold one of the pieces in Siriki Dembele, and another former loan player is a possibility in Fulham’s Jay Stansfield.
One final player mentioned is from Championship rivals Stoke City, Lewis Baker. The former Chelsea academy product is available for a fee of £2.5 million, according to the same report from Nixon.
How realistic are these transfers for Blackburn Rovers?
Players such as Ruddy may be hard to pull off, given he has just arrived at Newcastle this window, but that does not rule out a loan switch for the veteran goalkeeper, given how far down the pecking order he is likely to be at St James’ Park. Birmingham City’s Dembele could be a transfer they manage, with the winger’s future uncertain in the Midlands, with new boss Chris Davies attempting to tie him down to a new contract amidst interest from the second tier.
Meanwhile, Fulham have seemingly made former Birmingham loanee Jay Stansfield available for the right price, and plenty have known that price this summer but have yet to activate it. The League One club has been mentioned as suitors for the forward this summer, while Championship rivals Stoke City have also set their sights on the forward.
Stansfield would surely be looking for a move to the Championship after spending last season as a standout player in the relegated Birmingham City team.
