Blackburn Rovers are still keen to get a deal over the line for Rochdale midfielder Ethan Brierley, according to a report from the Lancashire Telegraph.

The teenager linked up with Sheffield United on a trial spell in January - but their transfer embargo meant they were unable to bring him in and Blackburn tried to capitalise on that.

It looked as though an agreement would be pushed through at Ewood Park - but during a disastrous deadline day that saw a deal for Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien fall through - Brierley's move couldn't be sealed either.

 

 

According to a Patreon report from Alan Nixon, the teenager didn't fill out a form correctly and that's why they were unable to get this agreement over the line before the deadline passed, in what was a big blow for Rovers.

They could have been forgiven for moving on to other midfield targets following this saga, with John Buckley, Jake Garrett and Adam Wharton available as existing young options in the middle of the park for Jon Dahl Tomasson's men.

But they look set to reignite their interest in him during the summer window, with the club still hopeful of securing his services despite missing out on him during the winter.

The Verdict:

It seemed as though the player was keen to join and with that in mind, it shouldn't be too difficult to push a deal through if similar terms are offered to both Rochdale and the player.

Building for the future is important and is a clear part of Blackburn's strategy, so it would be a boost for them if they can bring Brierley in, with the player unlikely to be short of interest when the summer comes.

Although the youngster's side may be prepared to accept a similar offer to the one that was launched in January, that may depend on how much he features for the first team between now and the end of the season and how much he can impress.

Blackburn's owners have shown that they are willing to get their chequebook out when needed with the likes of Callum Brittain, Dominic Hyam and Sammy Szmodics arriving for transfer fees last summer.

With that in mind, Tomasson and Gregg Broughton should be reasonably confident about getting their man, but they will need to stay alert if they want to keep leading this race for him.