5 players that must be on Blackburn Rovers' transfer radar ft Karamoko Dembele | OneFootball

There is no escaping the fact that the summer transfer is going to be a hugely important one for Blackburn Rovers.

This 2023/24 campaign has been a disappointing one for all connected with the club, and it is something that they will need to bounce back from in the coming campaign.

If they are to do that, it seems clear they will need to strengthen their squad once the market opens again.

It remains to be seen how much Rovers will have to spend in the window. They will though, hope that funds from the January sale of Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace, and a sell-on fee from David Raya's permanent move to Arsenal from Brentford, will give them scope to invest in the squad.

So with that in mind, we've taken a look at five players that Blackburn Rovers must be considering moves for ahead of the summer transfer window, right here.

John Ruddy

One player who has already been linked with Blackburn in the lead up to the summer transfer window is Birmingham City's John Ruddy.

A move to Ewood Park would of course reunite the goalkeeper with his former Blues head coach, John Eustace. With Aynsley Pears and Leo Walhstedt - signed last summer to replace the departing Thomas Kaminski - making some costly errors this season, a new option between the posts does seem to be needed at Ewood Park.

Ruddy provides that, and at 37-years-old, also offer some experience that this Rovers squad badly needs. He is also out of contract at Birmingham in the summer, meaning he could be an affordable signing for the club as well.

Hakeem Odoffin

Although Lewis Travis is due to return from his loan spell at Ipswich in the summer, Yasin Ayari is only on loan until the end of the season, while John Buckley and Jake Garrett have struggled to make their mark on the side during the campaign.

January signing John Fleck, who made just one appearance before being ruled out through injury, is also out of contract. As a result, Blackburn may feel another central midfield option is needed, and Odoffin could be worth considering. He has experience in the Football League from the last three seasons with Rotherham United, has shown he is capable of both chipping in with crucial goals - something Rovers have lacked in midfield - and filling in at centre back, another area they may need to strengthen.

His height could also be useful when it comes to dealing with and attacking set-pieces, another area where Blackburn have struggled. He is also into the final year of his contract with Rotherham, which could make him affordable for the Ewood Park club, if they do indeed have money available to invest.

Karamoko Dembele

Last summer, it was reported that Blackburn were keen on a deal to sign winger Karamoko Dembele from Stade Brest. Ultimately though, no deal materialised, with the former Celtic youngster instead joining Blackpool on a season-long loan.

The 21-year-old has since gone onto excel for the Seasiders, contributing with both goals and assists as they narrowly missed out on a League One play-off place. Indeed, Dembele's contributions saw him voted as Blackpool's Player of the Season by both fans and players at Bloomfield Road recently.

Such an impact from out wide is something Blackburn themselves have missed this season, and so with Dembele excelling in England, this may be a link they need to revisit. That may particularly be the case if Tyrhys Dolan does depart in the summer, with it still to be seen if he will sign a new contract at Ewood Park, and Dembele would be a solid option to fill any void that might be left.

Devante Cole

Blackburn have again this season, missed a plethora of costly chances, and found themselves largely relying on Sammie Szmodics in front of goal. That is not something they can afford to do again, especially given the level of interest the 28-year-old is surely likely to attract.

As a result, a new centre forward surely needs to be on the agenda for Rovers, not least to show they can get a deal done in that position after some recent struggles to do so. One option they could consider to take over that role is Devante Cole, who has enjoyed a prolific season in League One to help Barnsley into the play-offs.

The 28-year-old will be out of contract with the Tykes at the end of this season, which could again make him a feasible target for Blackburn from a financial perspective. Meanwhile, his dad Andy's past connection with the Ewood Park club could also make this something of a satisfying deal from that emotional standpoint as well.

Duncan McGuire

One of the reasons for the recent struggles Blackburn have endured at centre forward, is the infamous collapse of their move for Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire on the final day of the January transfer window.

It was an embarrassing situation for the Ewood Park club, that they may go some way to putting right if they can bring him to England in the summer, and giving the player himself the chance to make a move that he missed out on through no fault of his own, would feel like the right thing to do.

McGuire has also made a positive impact with some well-taken goals in an otherwise struggling Orlando side since his transfer to Blackburn failed to materialise. As a result, he may have just the right sort of ability, mindset and attitude to take on the challenge of leading the line at Ewood Park as well.