Blackburn Rovers have submitted a £200,000 offer for Middlesbrough goalkeeper Aynsley Pears, according to The Sun's Alan Nixon.

Tony Mowbray has already added Thomas Kaminski to Blackburn's goalkeeping department this summer, but the Rovers boss is now thought to be eager to add further reinforcement with Pears having been identified as a viable option.

Pears was named on the bench for Boro's first outing of the Championship season which saw them suffer a 1-0 defeat against Watford, with Neil Warnock having started with Marcus Bettinelli between the sticks following his summer move to Teesside.

Bettinelli's arrival means that Pears may struggle for regular minutes at the Riverside Stadium this term following his breakthrough campaign last term, and Blackburn are now thought to be keen on luring the 22-year-old to Lancashire.

Rovers are understood to have submitted an official offer for the goalkeeper, but Boro reportedly want more than £200,000 for a player who has climbed through the academy ranks at the club.

Pears made a total of 18 appearances for Middlesbrough as they narrowly avoided relegation from the second tier, with the stopper having finally managed to establish himself at Boro following non-league loan stints at Darlington and Gateshead.

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The Verdict

This could represent a good move for Pears providing he is guaranteed regular football by Rovers boss Mowbray, with it now seeming unlikely he will be Boro's number one this season following Bettinelli's summer arrival at the club.

There can be no doubt that Boro would be keen to keep hold of Pears after nurturing his development up to this point, but the goalkeeper will perhaps feel he can now push for a regular starting spot following his breakthrough last campaign.

However, Blackburn will definitely need to increase their offer for Pears given Boro are not likely to let him leave for cheap, so there could be some considerable negotiations before any potential deal is agreed between the two clubs.