Tony Mowbray has insisted he is relaxed about a deal for Southampton forward Michael Obafemi this summer as he spoke in his latest press conference, saying he doesn't want to think about signing the 21-year-old until he's personally spoken to him.

After Adam Armstrong's move in the other direction to the Premier League side, rumours were swirling around about a possible swap deal with Obafemi, with a striker or two required at Ewood Park to fill the void the 24-year-old has left.

Although Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray stated he was interested in luring the Irishman to Lancashire just a few days ago, he has since adopted a more relaxed tone on this potential deal and has hinted he is just one of several forwards the club are currently looking at.

 

 

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Saturday afternoon's clash against Millwall, he said: "For me everything is totally separate (to Adam).

"He’s a centre forward, a lad who can score goals, is fast, mobile.

"I don’t like to think about signing until I’ve spoken to them, felt their personality and character. I’ve had lots of players in my office before thinking we might sign them but then I’ve decided after five minutes we’re not because his human qualities didn’t shine through.

"Michael Obafemi, I don’t know the lad other than what he’s done on the football pitch from all the videos I’ve watched. I need to speak to him and get a feeling of the human being

"I’m not fighting that situation. We have got five or six centre forwards that we might sign so I don’t sit here concerned about it. I sit here knowing that one will drop in,” Mowbray added on his striker search.

"We have to talk to all of these people and if they want to come to Blackburn Rovers and they’re happy to talk, and their club are happy to agree a deal, then I’ll talk to the player and decide if he’s right for our group."

Fellow forwards Andre Gray and Adam Idah were both mooted as possible options in swap deals for Adam Armstrong in the past, but with the 28-goal forward signing for Southampton and the former being rejected by Rovers anyway, these two deals look to be over.

Mowbray has until August 31st to get a deal for one or two forwards over the line to replace their former talisman unless they go down the route of free agents, although the 57-year-old has called for a collective effort from his team to replace the bucketful of goals he scored last term.

The Blackburn manager recently suffered a blow with top target and Brighton winger Reda Khadra returning to the south coast to recover from a minor ankle injury, although he is still likely to finalise a deal for the German before the window shuts.

The Verdict:

Even for the section of Blackburn fans who desperately want to see Obafemi make the move to Ewood Park, they are probably relieved at the fact Mowbray hasn't put all of his eggs in one basket on this one, especially with how important it is for the club to recruit a striker in the next few weeks.

Without a replacement or two, they face spending another season in a lower midtable position so it's imperative they spend their money wisely and bring in the right man/men to fill the void, especially with Harvey Elliott also departing the club and returning to Liverpool earlier in the summer.

Although they will benefit in the long-term from not relying on one or two players to score the bulk of their goals, they will need their reinforcements to step up to the plate and help them to recover from the initial shock of losing such an influential player.

From Mowbray's quotes, it seems as though he will fully vet his targets before bringing them in, so that should do help settle the nerves of those who are worried about an inadequate replacement arriving at Ewood Park.

Obafemi could be a decent replacement though - and after only playing a very limited amount of first-team football at St Mary's in the last campaign - he will be eager to prove his point whether that's on the south coast, in Lancashire or elsewhere.