Newcastle United to face Bundesliga competition in transfer battle for Blackburn Rovers player | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers youngster Rory Finneran was watched by several Bundesliga clubs over the international break, as they rival Newcastle United for his signature.

Rory Finneran’s career so far

The 16-year-old midfielder joined the Championship side as a kid, and he has progressed through the ranks at Ewood Park, where he is very highly-rated.

Finneran’s outstanding displays at youth level saw former boss Jon Dahl Tomasson take notice, with the teenager training with the first-team, and he became Rovers’ youngest ever debutant when he came on against Cambridge in the FA Cup earlier this year, around two months shy of his 16th birthday.

The youngster has also represented Ireland at various youth age groups, and he is currently in the U17 setup.

Rory Finneran transfer latest

Unsurprisingly, given his potential, Finneran has started to attract attention, and it was claimed in January that Newcastle are pushing to sign the player.

However, it seems as though they won’t have a free run at bringing in the left-footer, as the Telegraph has revealed that representatives from Bundesliga clubs were keeping tabs on Finneran as he played for Ireland over the international break.

“Scouts from the biggest clubs in Europe headed to Portugal over the weekend with the Republic of Ireland Under-17s’ clash against Germany of huge interest and Blackburn’s Rory Finneran on the radar of Bundesliga teams.

“Fifa’s Article 19 rule allows young players to move within the European Union but Brexit closed off a route to the Premier League, with foreign clubs looking closely at the best Irish players.

“Irish midfielder Finneran, 16, played in the FA Cup this season with Rovers and is in the sights of European clubs. Germany won the game 2-0 at Estadio Dr Jose De Matos.”

Blackburn face a battle to keep Rory Finneran

Obviously, this is not the news that Blackburn wanted to hear, as they will want their best talents to remain at the club, and to progress into the first-team.

Given his age, with Finneran yet to sign a professional contract, Rovers are in a vulnerable position, as there’s not much they can do to stop the player from leaving if he decides he wants to move on.

Whilst they would receive compensation for the role they’ve played in his development, it’s unlikely to be the sort of figure that Blackburn would want for a player with Finneran’s potential.

Nevertheless, they will no doubt emphasise the fact they offer a clear pathway to the first-team for younger players, even if the priority right now is just about staying in the Championship.

Blackburn continue to produce talent

It would be hugely frustrating for Rovers if they did lose the teenager, but the fact top clubs are interested in Finneran shows that the club are doing a lot right in terms of developing players.

Adam Wharton is the recent success story for the academy, as he secured a big-money move from Crystal Palace, with Ashley Phillips another example after he signed for Tottenham.

There are also several academy graduates in John Eustace’s first-team squad, so it’s something for Blackburn to be proud of, and no matter what happens with Finneran, they will want to keep producing some exciting talents.