Blackburn Rovers have hit the jackpot with Jon Dahl Tomasson free transfer signing: View | OneFootball

Back in early February, Blackburn Rovers saw a change in head coach at Ewood Park, with Jon Dahl Tomasson replaced by John Eustace.

In truth, it was a change that seemed best for all parties. The Ewood Park club had won just one of the last 11 Championship games under the Dane.

That dragged them into a relegation battle that, with three games of the season remaining, they have yet to fully escape.

Meanwhile, Tomasson himself appeared to have grown frustrated with the direction the club was going in.

One particular area of his disappointment appeared to be the transfer window, where he seemingly felt he was not backed enough in terms of the number of players added to his squad.

This season though, there may also be an argument that the quality has not exactly been there, when it comes to the players signed by Blackburn for him in the summer.

2023 summer signings have largely not worked out for Blackburn

By the time the window closed back in the summer, there had been seven new players added to the squad at Ewood Park.

However, most of those have been unable to make the sort of impact for the club that might have been expected from them.

One striker, Niall Ennis, was hampered by injury issue and sold to Stoke City in January despite only signing a four-year deal at Ewood Park in the summer, having not scored a league goal for Blackburn.

The other centre-forward addition - Semir Telalovic - has largely been used only as a late substitute, and is still waiting for his first goal for the club.

Elsewhere, winger Arnor Sigurdsson has shown genuine flashes of quality and form, but those have not been consistent enough, and he too has been limited by injury.

Leopold Wahlstedt was signed as a backup goalkeeper for Aynsley Pears following the sale of Thomas Kaminski, and has made some costly errors when forced to step in.

Of the two players brought in on loan, Bournemouth's James Hill did produce some strong performances and showed plenty of promise. However, the defender was recalled by his parent club in January.

Meanwhile, Brighton winger Andrew Moran had some bright showings early on, but has been unable to build on them, while also struggling to deliver the sort of end product that would be desired from an attacker.

As a result, the majority of those brought to Ewood Park by Blackburn for Tomasson last summer, have yet to really work out as well as they could - with one notable exception.

Sondre Tronstad has been Blackburn Rovers' shining light from summer transfer business

The seventh signing made by Blackburn during last summer's transfer window, was that of Sondre Tronstad.

The midfielder made the move to Lancashire on a free transfer, following the expiration of his contract with Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem.

It was a move that gave the Norwegian another chance to show what he can do in the Championship, following an unsuccessful spell with Huddersfield Town between 2014 and 2016, and he has certainly taken that opportunity.

Throughout the course of the campaign, Tronstad has been outstanding for Blackburn Rovers.

The 28-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet at Ewood Park, under first Tomasson and then Eustace.

His tenacity and commitment on the pitch have made him a vital presence in the centre of midfield, and combined with his willingness to chase down opponents and regain possession, a key figure in helping to protect the defence behind him.

At his age, he is one of the most experienced players in the squad as well, and that has shown through with the leadership he has offered on the pitch to his new teammates.

Indeed, he has been a big and noticeable miss in the games where he has been out through injury, proving how important it is for the club to keep him fit.

Perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to Tronstad, is that in the eyes of many followers of the club, he would be a nailed on certainty to win Blackburn Rovers' Player of the Year award, were it not for the remarkable goalscoring exploits of Sammie Szmodics.

What makes all of this even more satisfying for the the club is that he was signed on a free transfer.

That of course, means that at the very least, they will break even when it comes to their investment on him if he leaves for nothing in the future, while any sort of fee received for him will secure the club a useful profit.

With all that in mind, it seems that in what has turned out to be a rather frustrating 2023 summer transfer window, the signing of Sondre Tronstad is at least one that has very much paid off for Blackburn Rovers.