Blackburn eyeing summer swoop for soon-to-be free agent but could face Stoke and Wigan competition | OneFootball

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Football League World

·5 February 2023

Blackburn eyeing summer swoop for soon-to-be free agent but could face Stoke and Wigan competition

Article image:Blackburn eyeing summer swoop for soon-to-be free agent but could face Stoke and Wigan competition

Blackburn Rovers will target Cardiff City forward Mark Harris on a free transfer this summer after missing out on him during the January transfer window.

That is according to Alan Nixon via Patreon, who reports that Rovers wanted to sign the 24-year-old last month, but did not want to pay the £700,000 fee they were quoted for his services.


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That was likely due to the fact that Harris’ contract expires this summer and he is potentially available to them on a free transfer in just a few months time.

Indeed, it is now said Blackburn will target him for nothing at the end of the season.

Nixon reports that a key factor behind the move is that Blackburn’s chief scout knows Harris well having worked with him at international level.

Stoke City and Wigan also expressed an interest in the forward but were put off by his asking price, reports Nixon, who claims they could return for him this summer.

Harris came through the youth ranks at Cardiff, making his club debut during the 2016/17 season.

Quiz: Have any of these 25 ex-Blackburn Rovers players ever played for a Yorkshire based team?

1 of 25

Article image:Blackburn eyeing summer swoop for soon-to-be free agent but could face Stoke and Wigan competition

STEVEN N'ZONZI

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However, he was then sent on multiple loans to the likes of Newport, Port Vale and Wrexham.

Since 2020/21, he has been a part of the first team squad at the Cardiff City Stadium, and in the past two seasons, has been somewhat of a regular.

However, goals have been hard to come by, with just three for the season so far, and three for the entirety of the last Championship campaign, too.

The Verdict

In fairness, given the situation Cardiff City are in, I can understand why they perhaps didn’t want to let Harris go in January.

That is perhaps why they quoted interested clubs the sort of fee that they did with such little time remaining on his deal.

However, it does look like he could be off in the summer, with Blackburn just one of the sides who could go in for him.

I’m not convinced it’s a brilliant signing for Rovers who will be looking for a Ben Brereton-Diaz replacement, but on a free transfer, at least it is a deal that carries relatively little risk.

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