Opinion: Blackburn should look to take advantage of Rotherham’s tricky situation to address important summer issue | OneFootball

In a summer transfer window that is going to be immensely busy for Blackburn Rovers as they look to strengthen in several areas of the pitch, one area that will be key for the club, is right-back.

As things stand, Blackburn’s two current senior right-back options, Ryan Nyambe and Joe Rankin-Costello, are both set to be out of contract this summer, and the longer we go on without an announcement, the nervy those of a Rovers persuasion are going to become with regards to that situation.

Indeed, recent reports have already suggested that the Lancashire club have come to terms with the fact that Nyambe will leave Ewood Park this summer, despite the offer of a new long-term contract with the club being on the table.

That is something that would be a major blow for Rovers, with the Namibian international having emerged into one of the division’s more reliable options on the right-hand side of defence in recent seasons, and the 23-year-old is only likely to improve further with more experience.

As a result, it seems crucial that Blackburn at the very least start planning for the prospect of having to add to their right-back department this summer, and fortunately for them, there are other Championship clubs who find themselves in a similar situation to the one Rovers currently face with Nyambe.

Speaking last month, Rotherham United manager Paul Warne admitted that the club find themselves in a tricky situation when it comes to securing deals for certain members of his squad, who have been made offers of new deals, but are believed to be reluctant to commit before the end of the campaign.

One member of the Rotherham squad who it is thought that particular scenario currently applies to, is right-back Matt Olosunde.

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Since making the step up to the Championship with the Millers this season, Olosunde has been something of a revelation with a number of impressive performances, not least at Ewood Park, when his quality as an attacking full-back gave Blackburn all sorts of problems in a last minute 2-1 home win that Rotherham really ought to have taken at least a draw from.

Given Nyambe’s attacking capabilities have been a concern for current Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray in recent times – admittedly it seems more of a worry to him than anyone else – you do feel as though that could make Olosunde an attractive proposition for Rovers.

Add to that the fact that as has already been referred to, Olosunde is out of contract at The New York Stadium at the end of this season, meaning that from a financial standpoint as well, this could be a move that makes sense for Blackburn at a time when clubs have been hit so hard in the pocket by the events of the past 12 months or so.

Indeed, with Rotherham battling to avoid relegation to League One, which Rovers could, ironically, push them even further towards when they travel to the Millers in the penultimate game of the season, Olosunde is unlikely to want to take that step back to the third-tier given he has now shown he can perform comfortably in the Championship

That would likely make it even harder for the Millers to secure a new deal for the 23-year-old, and hand clubs such as Rovers an extra boost should they decide to pursue a potential deal here.

It seems therefore, that while the position they are in concerning the likes of Nyambe could create something of a problem for Blackburn, it could be one they may be able to go some way to solving, by capitalising on a similar situation to that elsewhere.