Blackburn Rovers defender Daniel Ayala has emerged as a transfer target for his former Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka.

Karanka is currently boss of Spanish side Granada, who were recently relegated from La Liga.

As per the Lancashire Telegraph, reports in Spain suggest that the former Boro boss could make a move for the Spanish defender this summer, with the pair having won promotion together during their time at the Riverside Stadium.

Ayala swapped Middlesbrough for Blackburn in 2020, but it would be fair to say that things have not gone exactly to plan for the now 31-year-old.

In his first season at Ewood Park, Ayala made just 10 Championship appearances, largely due to injuries.

In 2021/22, the defender more than doubled his tally from the previous campaign, but was still reduced to just 21 Championship outings.

 

 

Across his two seasons with Rovers, the Spaniard has appeared just 32 times in all competitions.

Ayala's contract at Ewood Park is set to run until the summer of 2023.

The Verdict

Given how his time at Ewood Park has gone so far, Blackburn Rovers could be tempted to let go of Daniel Ayala if there is interest in him this transfer window.

Things have not gone to plan with regards to his move to Lancashire, and with a year left on his current deal, it could be Blackburn's only chance to recoup some sort of fee for the player.

That being said, Blackburn Rovers do not currently have a manager in place, so it would be best to delay any decision over Ayala's future.

It could be that the Spaniard forces his way into the Blackburn side as a regular under their new boss.