Blackburn Rovers eyeing move for 25-goal striker | OneFootball

A new attacking target for Blackburn Rovers has been identified

Blackburn Rovers are interested in signing Newport County striker Will Evans in the summer transfer window.

That's according to a report from The Daily Mirror's Live Transfer Blog (21/06, 12:10), who say that a number of Championship clubs are taking an interest in the 26-year-old.

Evans joined Newport back in the summer of 2022, signing from Bala Town in his native Wales. After a quiet debut campaign at Rodney Parade, the striker enjoyed an excellent 2023/24 season for the club.

Last season, the 26-year-old scored 25 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions for the League Two club.

Now it seems as though that form for Newport, is starting to generate more attention in Evans, from further up the Football League pyramid.

Blackburn Rovers keen on Will Evans signing

As per this latest update, Evans is now said to be on the list of potential targets for a number of Championship clubs, following his excellent campaign with the Exiles.

One of those sides who are said to be keen on the signing of the striker are Blackburn, who are apparently considering making an offer for the striker.

There are currently 12 months remaining on Evans' contract with Newport, securing his future at Rodney Parade until the end of next season.

As a result, this summer could be the League Two side's final chance to receive a fee for the sale of the striker.

For Blackburn, this is their first transfer window since the appointment of John Eustace as head coach at Ewood Park back in February.

The Lancashire club are so far yet to make a first-team signing this summer. The 2023/24 campaign saw Blackburn finish 19th in the Championship table, three points clear of the relegation zone.

Only a 2-0 win over champions Leicester City on the final day of the campaign ensured they avoided the drop into League One.

For their part, Newport finished last season 18th in the League Two standings, 13 points clear of the relegation zone.

Bringing Will Evans to Ewood Park could be a gamble

It is hard not to feel as though this is a move that would not be without its risks for Blackburn if they were to make it.

There is absolutely no doubt that the Lancashire club need to add goalscorers this summer, having relied way too heavily on Sammie Szmodics alone to do that job last season.

But while Evans' record in the 2023/24 campaign is impressive, it is right now, something of a one-off.

As a result, much like with Szmodics himself, it remains to be seen if the 26-year-old will be able to keep that up in the coming campaign and beyond.

It is of course, also worth noting that Evans would be stepping up two divisions if he was to move to Blackburn, and so there may be questions as to whether he could cope with the demands of the improvement in quality he would be faced with.

That would mean that Blackburn would be taking something of a chance if they were to target the Newport man as the one to lead their line for next season.

Admittedly, one positive for them though, is that the striker's current contract situation means this could be an affordable deal for Rovers, given Newport may be under pressure to cash in to avoid losing him for nothing this time next year.

With all that in mind, it will certainly be interesting to see just how things play out with regards to this interest from Blackburn in Evans, over the course of the coming months.