Blackburn Rovers will move to sign Sunderland striker Ross Stewart if they lose Ben Brereton-Diaz in the January transfer window, journalist Alan Nixon has claimed.

Despite being heavily linked with a number of Premier League clubs, and the fact he is in the final year of his contract at Ewood Park, Brereton-Diaz has ultimately remained a Blackburn player even after the close of the summer transfer window.

That means that when the market reopens in January, Rovers will be facing their very last chance to receive some sort of fee for the player, unless he signs a new contract before then.

As a result, that could put pressure on the Lancashire club to cash in on the Chile international, and it now seems as though a potential replacement has already been identified.

According to this latest update, Blackburn are planning a move to sign Stewart from Sunderland if Brereton-Diaz leaves in January, after looking into a move for the Scotsman over the summer.

It is thought they will renew that interest if their top scorer goes at the turn of the year, and could offer Stewart the sort of contract he wants.

Stewart is now into the final year of his current contract at Sunderland, although the Black Cats do have the option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.

Having scored 26 goals to fire Sunderland to promotion from League One last season, Stewart has already scored five times in seven Championship appearances for the club at the start of this campaign.

The Verdict

This would be an excellent signing for Blackburn to make if they do need to replace Brereton-Diaz.

Stewart has wasted no time in showing that he is capable of getting the amount of goals at this level, that Rovers will need if they are to lose their Chilean international in January.

That would make the Scotsman a vital addition for the club, especially considering he can make things happen for others as well, and this would be just the sort of statement of intent Rovers would need to lift the mood around Ewood Park, following the disappointment of any potential exit for Brereton-Diaz.

With that in mind, you get the feeling that this is a situation that Rovers need to be keeping a close eye on at Sunderland, over the course of the next few months.