For the first time in several years, it looks as though Blackburn Rovers will have to add to their midfield during the summer transfer window.

With Corry Evans, Lewis Holtby and Stewart Downing having all left the club following the expiry of their contracts at the end of last season, and Tom Trybull's loan from Norwich coming to an end, Rovers have plenty of gaps to fill in the centre of the park over the coming months.

One man who seemingly emerged as a potential candidate to help Rovers address that issue this summer, is Stoke City's Sam Clucas.

According to reports from The Sun's Alan Nixon last month, the Potters are willing to let Clucas leave the club for free this summer if he can find a new destination before the end of June, despite the fact that the 30-year-old has a year remaining on his contract at the Bet365 Stadium.

Nixon also went on to note that Blackburn are one of those most interested in Clucas, as they look to fill those voids in their midfield.

Now it seems as though there may indeed be an opening for Rovers to take advantage of in their pursuit of Clucas, with reports from The Stoke Sentinel backing up those claims that the midfielder could be allowed to leave the Bet365 this summer.

However, with the suggestion being made that that willingness to let Clucas leave is down to the fact that his contract is a more sizeable one than Stoke can now afford in the wake of a season behind closed doors, there may be questions about whether Rovers themselves will be able fund a deal for Clucas.

Indeed, it as also worth noting that Blackburn do also seem to be looking at other potential midfield targets for the summer, with Scottish midfielder Ryan Gauld, himself a free agent following his departure from Portuguese side Farense, another to have been linked with a move to Ewood Park recently.

As a result, it seems as though there could be some way to go yet if Rovers are to recruit Clucas this summer - particularly with the issue of a transfer embargo still hanging over there heads - and little in terms of updates on any concrete progress since those original links emerged.