Blackburn Rovers should make the most of Ipswich Town promotion after £2m January talk: View | OneFootball

This year's January transfer window would prove to be a rather busy one for Blackburn Rovers.

In the end, no fewer than six new players were added to the first-team squad at Ewood Park over that period.

There was of course, also the dramatic last-minute collapse of the deal to sign striker Duncan McGuire from Orlando City.

Meanwhile, a handful of senior players would exit Ewood Park, including the club-record sale of Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace and a surprise loan move to Ipswich Town for club captain Lewis Travis.

However, it seems that one player who remained at Blackburn Rovers for the second half of the season despite interest in January will again attract attention this summer.

Ipswich Town still keen on Sam Gallagher

As well as signing Travis on loan, Ipswich also showed an interest in another Blackburn player back in the January transfer window.

It was reported that the Tractor Boys made a number of attempts to sign striker Sam Gallagher from Rovers, in a deal that could have been worth up to £2 million.

In the end though, no deal could be agreed, and Ipswich have since gone on to win promotion to the Premier League, while Blackburn remain in the Championship.

Despite that, it has recently been reported that manager Kieran McKenna remains keen to bring Gallagher to Portman Road in the summer transfer window.

And there is an argument that Blackburn should be looking to take advantage of the fact that Ipswich are now a Premier League club and look to move Gallagher on this summer.

Blackburn Rovers should look to cash in on Sam Gallagher

Heading into this summer, the striker's contract at Ewood Park had been due to expire at the end of this season.

However, the club have since triggered their option to extend his deal by a further 12 months, meaning his future with Rovers is now secure until the summer of 2025.

But with that option now used up, this current transfer window could be Blackburn's last chance to cash in on Gallagher before he can leave for free at the end of next season.

So, with Ipswich now interested, it could make sense to exploit that to gain a decent return on the striker.

With the Tractor Boys having been promoted, they are certainly not going to be short on funds, given both the windfall they will receive from being a top-flight team, and the backing that McKenna looks set to receive means they should have money to spend this summer.

Meanwhile, the fact they made multiple offers for Gallagher in January, and are still keen now, shows how much they seem to want the Blackburn striker.

As a result, they could now be both willing and able to pay the significant fee that Rovers seem to want for the sale of the 28-year-old.

If they do manage to make such an offer that exceeds what was rejected earlier this year, then it would surely make sense for the Ewood Park club to accept.

Gallagher has struggled to be the prolific centre-forward that Blackburn have needed in recent years, since returning in the summer of 2019, having previously spent the 2017/18 campaign on loan at Ewood Park.

Indeed, he found the net just three times in 24 league appearances in an injury-hit campaign for the club last season, as they battled to avoid relegation to the Championship.

With that in mind, it could be a good piece of business for Rovers, if they are able to generate a fee for the striker over what Ipswich offered in January.

Given they have worked on a limited budget in recent transfer windows, bringing in that sort of fee to be reinvested, could well help their prospects of strengthening the squad this summer and allow John Eustace to shape his squad in his first transfer window, which may be vital after that tough 2023/24 campaign.

It is also worth noting that with Gallagher among the club's highest earners, moving him on would also open up more space in the wage budget to help with recruitment as well.

That in turn, would also ease the pressure on Blackburn to sell when it comes to the interest that will surely emerge in Sammie Szmodics after his excellent season, given they could have funds from the sale of Gallagher coming into the club instead.

You feel, therefore, that the fact Ipswich are still interested in Sam Gallagher, may open up several opportunities for Blackburn Rovers in the summer transfer window, that they simply have to take.