"Part of me understands" - Honest Blackburn Rovers, Tyrhys Dolan verdict issued as potential exit date looms | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit will not begrudge Tyrhys Dolan if the playmaker leaves Ewood Park this summer

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Tyrhys Dolan's future at Blackburn Rovers has long been subject to speculation and uncertainty as the conclusion of his current contract at Ewood Park edges ever closer.

At the time of writing, the 23-year-old is set to see his deal expire in June and no agreement between the two parties has yet been struck.

According to the Lancashire Telegraph, negotiations have been ongoing for more than 18 months but Dolan is poised to assess his options in the summer before arriving at a decision, leaving Rovers very much in the dark as to whether he will be staying on heading into the 2025/26 campaign.

Blackburn will be eligible to receive a compensation fee if Dolan leaves to find a new club owing to his age, but that figure will naturally pale in comparison to what they could expect to receive from an outright sale in the transfer market.

Dolan, who has been with Rovers since the summer of 2020, has chalked up more than 200 appearances for the club and is currently enjoying the best season of his career, playing a central role to the recent uplift in form at Ewood Park under Valerien Ismael.

The winger has registered seven goals and six assists in the Championship this season and his performances are becoming increasingly consistent in recent times, even if they may not be quite enough to help Blackburn to secure a top-six finish ahead of a daunting final day trip to third-placed Sheffield United.

Honest Blackburn Rovers verdict given on potential Tyrhys Dolan exit

FLW asked our resident Blackburn fan pundit, Simon Middlehurst, if Dolan would go down in his estimation in the event of leaving the Lancashire side for a Championship rival this summer.

Fellow second-tier sides are sure to be monitoring Dolan's situation, and it would be no surprise to see a number of swoops lined up if he decides to leave at the end of his contract.

Simon, however, would not begrudge Dolan if that's how the situation ends up playing out. He recognises the short length of a player's career, and accepts that Dolan could be encouraged to join a Championship club with more realistic and direct aspirations of reaching the Premier League.

"Bit of a weird one with Tyrhys Dolan," Simon told FLW.

"Obviously we took him on and gave him an opportunity when he was released from Preston. He's had a bit of a topsy-turvy time at Blackburn over the years, with performances being inconsistent.

"But this season, he has really turned it on. Part of me would love him to stay, part of me understands that he's still only 24, has a lot of his career left to play and if there are opportunities for him to move on to a club that is wanting to push towards the Premier League then fair enough, fair play to him.

"He wouldn't go down in my estimation if he did leave. Obviously a footballer's career can be very, very short, and he's got to take every opportunity that he can get."

John Eustace, Tyrhys Dolan reunion at Derby County would sting Blackburn Rovers faithful

While it would be difficult to begrudge Dolan too much if he were to join a club poised to compete at the very top-end of the Championship next season, the Rovers faithful may react differently in the event of a potential reunion with former manager John Eustace at Derby County.

Formerly a popular figure among supporters, Eustace controversially left midway through this season to join Championship rivals Derby, who were and indeed remain in a battle against relegation to League One. Dolan was a favourite under Eustace, and it would make a great deal of sense for the ex-Rovers boss to attempt a reunion at Pride Park.

Granted, there would likely be more appeal attached to potentially earning a move to a promotion-chasing side as opposed to Derby, but a switch to the East Midlands would not be entirely out of the question either.