Blackburn Rovers struck gold with Gillingham transfer but missed out on £18m payday | OneFootball

Bradley Dack's peak at Blackburn led to an £18 million valuation but he ultimately left the club for nothing

Blackburn Rovers sealed one of their smartest transfer moves in years with the deal to sign Bradley Dack from Gillingham in 2017.

It was reported by the BBC that the deal cost the Lancashire outfit just £750,000 to complete.

The playmaker made an instant impact with Blackburn, contributing 18 goals and eight assists in his first campaign at Ewood Park, playing a key role in helping the club gain promotion back to the Championship.

However, Rovers ultimately missed out on a potential £18 million windfall from the sale of Dack, instead holding onto him until his contract expired in 2023.

This led to a move to Sunderland, joining his former manager at Blackburn, Tony Mowbray, earning the club no transfer fee in the process.

Bradley Dack’s rise at Blackburn

Dack played a pivotal role in Mowbray’s team earning promotion to the Championship in 2018, coming second in League One.

The now-31-year-old featured in 42 of their 46 league fixtures following his move from Gillingham, scoring more goals than anyone else in the squad, while also contributing the joint-most amount of assists.

The playmaker took the step-up to the Championship in his stride, continuing to impress at Ewood Park.

Dack scored 15 and assisted seven, as the team established themselves back at that level with a 15th-place finish.

This led to the Daily Mail reporting that enquiries were made by multiple Premier League clubs over a possible move for the player in the summer of 2019.

It was believed that Blackburn were holding out for up to £18 million for Dack following his strong performances throughout the 2018/19 season.

West Ham and Crystal Palace were both linked with a deal, but a move never came to fruition.

It was a testament to how well the Dack signing had worked out up to that point that Blackburn were considering such a massive profit on the £750,000 paid to sign him from Gillingham.

But Rovers flew a bit too close to the sun, and injuries ended up hampering the midfielder’s progress in subsequent campaigns.

Bradley Dack’s free agent exit from Blackburn

Dack made just 16 appearances in the following Championship campaign, as fitness proved a real issue for the player going forward.

In fact, he played just 52 times across his final three seasons at Ewood Park, with the team really missing him as they finished eighth in the table during the 2021/22 term.

The high point of his time at Blackburn will still be remembered fondly by fans, but there will always be a tinge of disappointment at how it all ended.

Suffering ACL injuries in back-to-back years will derail any player’s progress, and supporters will wonder what could’ve been had he been able to stay fit.

That it all ultimately led to him departing as a free agent in the summer of 2023 only made matters worse.