Blackburn Rovers join Fulham, Newcastle and Brighton in race for 28-year-old | OneFootball

Championship side Blackburn Rovers are the latest club to enter the race for Derby County captain Tom Lawrence, according to a Twitter update from talkSPORT’s Alex Crook.

The 28-year-old hasn’t been short of interest in recent months, with the Daily Mail reporting back in November that his current side were preparing to let him go for free during this month due to his £37,000-per-week wage.

However, a move away hasn’t materialised yet despite the East Midlands outfit’s need to generate funds, instead deciding to cash in on midfielder Graeme Shinnie with Phil Jagielka also leaving the club due to their newly-imposed transfer embargo.

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With the takeover process continuing to drag on and manager Wayne Rooney unable to make any additions at this stage due to the restrictions they are currently under, they may be forced to let other players leave if they want to secure their long-term future and/or bring anyone in this month.

This potentially includes Lawrence, even though he has been a vital figure at Pride Park this term, not just as captain but also with his contributions going forward with seven goals and three assists in 23 league appearances.

Fulham, Wolves, Brighton, Burnley and Newcastle were all linked with a move for the Welshman by TEAMtalk this morning, with AFC Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers also firmly in the race as per Football Insider’s report from a few hours ago.

Journalist Crook has added Blackburn into the mix, with Tony Mowbray already moving to secure Tottenham Hotspur’s Dilan Markanday on a permanent agreement this week.

However, the 58-year-old seems intent on adding another wide man to his squad at Ewood Park.

Aberdeen’s Ryan Hedges has been heavily linked with a move to Lancashire for quite a while now – and Derby’s Lawrence is also reported to be on their radar now with a cut-price deal potentially in the offing.

The Verdict:

This is a signing that many Blackburn fans would have mixed feelings on if he was to join.

Starting with the bad points, with the widespread interest in him, the winger could probably demand a sizeable wage, potentially making this pursuit pointless if he prices the Lancashire outfit out of the race.

The winger’s consistency can also be questioned over the years – and at this stage of his career with the experience he already has at Derby – it’s not as if he has a major point to prove in the second tier.

Most of Rovers’ current squad members do have a point to prove as youngsters or players that have been linked with a move elsewhere.

However, there are some positives that could come from this agreement. First of all, he has already become accustomed to working with a young squad at Pride Park this season, so he would probably be able to make the move to Mowbray’s side and fit in seamlessly.

There are also no doubts about this quality – and he would bring the experience needed to provide the right mix of youth and more senior heads at Ewood Park in their quest to get back to the Premier League.