Blackburn Rovers could source ideal Sammie Szmodics replacement from FC Twente: View | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers will be preparing for a difficult summer, which will likely see star player Sammie Szmodics linked with a move away from Ewood Park.

The 2023/24 campaign has been a rather difficult one for the Lancashire side, as they have found themselves at the bottom end of the table for the majority of the campaign.

Financial concerns at the start of the season put manager Jon Dahl Tomasson on the backfoot, and it seemed to have a damming effect on the club's performance in the league.

John Eustace has since come in and is tasked with the job of keeping Rovers in the second tier, and the Blackburn boss has been heavily reliant on Szmodics, who is having an outstanding campaign.

The 28-year-old scored his 24th goal of the Championship season on Saturday, as Blackburn claimed a surprise 1-0 win away at Leeds United.

This is the best tally for Szmodics in his entire career, so it comes as no surprise to see teams from the Premier League looking at a deal this summer.

Premier League clubs eyeing Blackburn Rovers’ Sammie Szmodics

In what has been a very disappointing season for Blackburn Rovers, Sammie Szmodics has exceeded all expectations and has become a lethal finisher at this level.

Before this campaign, Szmodics’ best tally in the Championship was six, which he scored for Peterborough United in the 2021/22 season.

His best overall tally in a campaign was 15, which again was with Posh, but this time in League One.

So, no one would have expected Szmodics to have the season he has had, but given he is the Championship’s top goalscorer, Premier League teams are taking notice.

It has been reported that both Fulham and Brentford are interested in the 28-year-old as they seek options to strengthen their forward line this summer.

But they both face competition from Luton Town, who have also been credited with an interest in recent weeks. However, the Hatters’ chances of signing the attacker will depend on their league status next season.

Blackburn look unlikely to be able to keep hold of Szmodics this summer, as Premier League clubs circle, so Rovers will need to be on the lookout for suitable replacements, and FC Twente’s Sem Steijn could be the ideal candidate, according to Fbref.com.

FC Twente’s Sem Steijn could be an ideal Sammie Szmodics replacement for Blackburn

As just stated, Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics is very much a wanted man this summer, and even if the Lancashire club beat the drop in the Championship, an exit seems likely.

So, the club’s board and manager, John Eustace, will be keen that he is replaced with the best possible option, and according to Fbref.com, FC Twente’s Sem Steijn is that.

Szmodics has scored 24 goals in 41 matches in the second tier this season, averaging 0.60 goals per 90 minutes.

Furthermore, Szmodics has been key for Rovers this season, starting every game he has played and managing 3,630 minutes of football. The 28-year-old is very much outperforming his xG, which is at 19.1, and as well as the goals, he is also contributing to creativity.

The Blackburn attacker has chipped in with four assists, which is slightly lower than his xA of 4.8. Szmodics has made more impact in goals, and that is why he is averaging 0.10 assists per 90 minutes, per Fbref.com.

Blackburn will not want to lose Szmodics, but they will need to be wise enough to know that interest will come, and therefore, replacements need to be looked at, and according to Fbref.com, Steijn is the best placed to do just that. It just may be a deal that is unlikely for the club.

Like Szmodics, Steijn has been key for Dutch side FC Twente but hasn’t been able to start every league game, with him starting 28 of the 30 he has played.

Szmodics has been in incredible form this season, so not many players can match what he has achieved. Steijn has been just as important in the Netherlands, but he hasn’t been able to score the same number of goals.

The 22-year-old has scored 12 goals so far, which, like Szmodics, is better than his xG, which is at 10.5. While the forward is also averaging a goal per 90, similar to Szmodics, with his being at 0.52.

As well as the goals, Steijn has contributed two assists and is averaging 0.09 per 90 minutes, which again is very similar to the current Blackburn forward, per Fbref.com.

Both players have different tallies this season, but they are producing goals and assists on a regular basis and are doing so at similar times. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that Blackburn will look to sign the Dutchman or that Steijn will want to go to Ewood Park, but if Rovers want to find the ideal replacement, then Steijn seems to be the perfect fit.

Steijn joined FC Twente in 2022 on a free transfer, and like Szmodics, he is an attacking midfielder, but unlike the Blackburn player, he doesn’t play as a forward, and that is probably one of a few factors as to why he has more goals than the Dutch midfielder.