Blackburn Rovers identify alternative to Birmingham City's Siriki Dembele | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers have identified an alternative target to Siriki Dembele amid strong competition for the Birmingham City forward

Highlights

Blackburn Rovers are targeting a move for Ryo Germain from Japanese side Jubilo as an alternative option to Birmingham City’s Siriki Dembele.

According to Alan Nixon, the Lancashire outfit have set their sights on another possible arrival this summer from Japan, having already added Yuki Ohashi to the squad.

Germain plies his trade in the J1 League, and has already made 19 appearances in the 2024 campaign, contributing 13 goals (all stats from Fbref).

The 29-year-old has been with Jubilo since 2022, and has been a regular presence in the side throughout that time.

But this season is proving his most prolific, having only registered 10 goals in the two previous campaigns prior to this year.

Blackburn target J1 League star

Blackburn are among five Championship clubs to have enquired about the availability of Dembele from Birmingham this summer, according to Darren Witcoop.

Swansea City have also been mentioned, as teams battle to sign the winger from the recently-relegated League One side.

Dembele could look to make the switch back to the Championship immediately, with Rovers looking to offer him a route to second tier football at Ewood Park for the upcoming term.

But if they are unable to convince the winger to reunite with John Eustace at Blackburn, they could reportedly turn their attention to Germain.

Rovers only have one slot left in their squad for someone who does not qualify for a work permit, which could now be used by the Japanese forward, if a deal can be found to bring him to English football.

Any incoming deals at the Lancashire outfit could yet depend on the future of Sammie Szmodics, who has attracted interest from Ipswich Town.

TWTD have reported that Blackburn have turned down another offer for the striker, with talks between the two clubs ongoing.

Rovers have until 30 August to finalise any remaining deals before the window shuts for the remainder of the calendar year.

Blackburn Rovers’ 2024 summer transfer activity

Eustace has already added six fresh faces to his squad this summer ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign.

He will be hoping to guide the team to an improved position in the table, after they came 19th in the standings last season.

Makhtar Gueye and Aodhan Doherty have arrived as permanent signings, alongside Ohashi, from RWDM and Linfield respectively.

Meanwhile, the likes of Danny Batth, Andreas Weimann and Jack Barrett have joined the club as free agents.

Plan B option is good planning from Blackburn

Having an alternative target lined up, especially one that’s a bit more left-field, is a sign of good process from Blackburn.

While Dembele’s future has yet to be decided, the club can work on ensuring this deal can be done as they wait on the Blues’ forward.

Germain has enjoyed a stellar year, his most prolific in the Japanese top flight so far in his career, with 10 games still to play before it concludes.

It remains to be seen how much a deal will cost, or whether Szmodics will leave for Portman Road, but these are positive signs for Rovers going into the new term, even if other areas of the squad also still need improvements.