Blackburn Rovers have now registered their interest in signing an “amazing” striker with 96 career goals and are battling rivals Hull City and QPR, according to a report.
Blackburn set sights on new striker
Blackburn narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs this season, finishing just two points behind sixth-placed Bristol City, who ultimately proved to be no match for Sheffield United, losing 6-0 against Chris Wilder’s side on aggregate.
As such, Valerien Ismael may not have to make too many changes to his squad to turn them into promotion contenders, but one area in which the manager is clearly lacking is striker, with last season’s top scorer, Yuki Ohashi, finishing with nine league goals.
Ohashi enjoyed a solid end to the campaign, picking up goals and two assists in his final six games, but it is clear the Japan international could do with some support up front, and the Rovers have now set their sights on a new striker.
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That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states Blackburn have now registered their interest in signing Swansea City striker Jerry Yates, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at fellow Championship side Derby County.
There could be fierce competition for Yates, however, with two MLS clubs keen, alongside second-tier rivals Queens Park Rangers and Hull City, who have also expressed an interest in the striker.
The forward is set to return to Swansea for pre-season, but he is unlikely to stick around for too long, with a permanent move elsewhere expected this summer, and the Rovers are set to be in the mix for his signature.
"Amazing" Yates could help fuel Blackburn's promotion push
Blackburn have remained outside the Premier League for the last 13 years, having narrowly missed out on the play-offs in three of the last four Championship seasons, and it is clear they could do with some additional attacking firepower to fuel a promotion push.
Not a single Rovers player managed to break into the top 20 Championship scorers last season, with Ismael’s side scoring just 53 league goals, which may have been costly in their pursuit of the top six.
There are some signs the signing of Yates could help fuel a promotion push next season, having been lauded for his “amazing” work-rate by former Derby manager Paul Warne last season.
The 28-year-old has been a consistent source of goals throughout his career, bagging a total of 96 across spells with the likes of Swansea, Derby and Blackpool, and the signing of the Englishman could relieve the goalscoring burden that currently rests on Ohashi.