Exclusive: Blackburn Rovers backed to strike £2.5m Sheffield Wednesday deal - He would be "a strong signing" | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie spoke exclusively to FLW about Blackburn Rovers' reported interest in Sheffield Wednesday winger Djeidi Gassama

Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has backed Blackburn Rovers to complete a deal for Sheffield Wednesday's Djeidi Gassama, who is a reported transfer target for Valerien Ismael ahead of his first full campaign in charge at Ewood Park and may be available for just £2.5 million.

Much like those before him in the Rovers dugout, Ismael will have to be resourceful and savvy under a limited transfer budget from the Venky's, whose well-documented financial challenges in recent times have tightened the purse-strings in East Lancashire.

Successful navigation of this summer's transfer window will not prove an easy task for Ismael, who began to find his feet at Blackburn towards the end of last season following an abject start after being brought in to replace ex-boss John Eustace in the wake of his controversial switch to Championship rivals Derby County.

Blackburn eventually finished the campaign just one place and two points shy of a top-six finish in seventh position and will be looking to build upon that near-miss, but have already faced setbacks this summer, with both Danny Batth and Andi Weimann leaving at the end of their respective contracts to join Eustace at Derby alongside Tyrhys Dolan's exit.

Dolan saw his deal expire at the end of last month after letting it run down in a protracted saga, and the winger is now continuing to assess his options and has reportedly has interest from Bristol City, Derby and Middlesbrough as well as clubs in both Greece and Turkey. Rovers will find themselves in receipt of a much greater compensation package - of which they are eligible for owing to the 24-year-old's age - if he chooses to join a domestic club, and could reinvest those funds into a move for Wednesday winger Gassama.

As per a recent report from The Sun's Alan Nixon - via his exclusive Patreon service - Blackburn have lodged an enquiry but are yet to agree a fee for Gassama, who is valued in the region of £2.5 million by Wednesday as they look to sanction high-profile sales to bring funds into the club amid their alarming state of financial disarray under Dejphon Chansiri.

Lee Hendrie backs Blackburn Rovers to seal £2.5m Djeidi Gassama, Sheffield Wednesday transfer deal

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie has backed Blackburn to land Gassama's signature, with the exciting French wide-man a clear and comparable replacement for the outgoing Dolan.

In Hendrie's view, Gassama would be a "strong signing" and he lauded the 21-year-old's pace and energy in the final third.

Gassama, who signed for Wednesday from French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023, scored seven Championship goals last season and has earned a reputation as both an effective and hugely-entertaining dribbler, with many believing a £2.5 million outlay would represent a real coup in both the short and long-term future.

"It looks like Dolan is going to go, so Blackburn are going to be looking at players," Hendrie explained to FLW.

"Gassama is [available] for £2.5 million, I think he would be a strong signing.

Having watched him and seen the way he can take the ball up the pitch, he's very raw at times, you do feel that they are going to have to replace Dolan and he would be a really good replacement for him.

"If not, a good addition to Blackburn's squad because I think any player that has that pace, energy and drive brings out a difference in teams. He could be a real strong addition for Rovers."

Sheffield Wednesday's Djeidi Gassama could net Blackburn Rovers a serious cash windfall

A potential deal for Gassama would represent an undoubted statement of intent from Blackburn, who could profit greatly in both the immediate and long-term future from completing the deal.

At 21, Gassama is already among the more threatening wide players throughout the Championship and really kicked on last term following a steady, if unspectacular, start to life at Hillsborough, and there is a school of thought that he could be a serious asset if he continues to refine his final ball.

Just the solitary assist in 24/25 suggests more is required of Gassama creatively, but seven goals from out wide in a mid-table side is nothing to be sniffed at and he has begun to marry end product with his exhilarating speed, trickery and quality in one-v-one situations.

In the years to come, Gassama could quite well become one of the standout attacking starlets in the Championship and beyond, and £2.5 million may just be a bargain fee to secure his services.