Crewe Alexandra left back Harry Pickering is the subject of interest from Championship side Blackburn Rovers, per The Sun on Sunday (03/01, page 57).
The 22-year-old has formed a superb partnership with fellow youngster Charlie Kirk down the Crewe left, and has also proven himself to be a deadly set-piece taker.
Like many of the players in Crewe's squad, Pickering is an academy graduate at Gresty Road and his performances over the last 18 months have caught admiring glances from further up the footballing pyramid.
It was even mentioned in the summer by reputable journalist James Pearce that Pickering should be a target for Premier League champions Liverpool, such is the similarities in his game as a wing back to Andy Robertson.
Whilst a move to the top tier of English football may not be in the offing just yet, Blackburn could provide a good platform to that level if they pose a serious interest.
Neither Amar'i Bell or loanee Barry Douglas have performed up to standards this season and a fresh face in the form of Pickering may be the missing link, and he could be a good provider for the goals of Adam Armstrong.
Crewe will be reluctant to part ways with arguably their most valuable asset, however with the financial climate proving tough on Football League clubs during the COVID-19 pandemic, offers may need considering at this point.
The Verdict
Left back is clearly an area that Mowbray needs to look at due to the performances of Bell and Douglas, and it's doubtful that he could do much better than a player like Pickering.
He would fit into a group full of similar hungry young players, such as Armstrong, Ryan Nyambe, Darragh Lenihan and Tyrhys Dolan who are all destined for bigger things than the second tier of the footballing pyramid.
But the most important thing Pickering could bring to Rovers is his set piece abilities, with Blackburn only scoring three of their goals this season from dead ball situations - add the Chester-born left back into the mix and Rovers could turn some of those single points into three.