Blackburn Rovers must seek repeat of Sunderland, Norwich City deals from January 2016 | OneFootball

Danny Graham and Elliott Benett were excellent Ewood Park additions

There were some rather mixed results for Blackburn Rovers when it came to their business in the 2016 January transfer window.

One of those signed was Simeon Jackson, arriving on a deal until the end of the season after a brief trial, but two goals in 19 games could not earn the striker an extended stay at Ewood Park.

Centre-back Elliott Ward signed on a two-and-a-half-year deal from Bournemouth, but managed just 30 appearances before being released at the end of that contract, after a loan spell at MK Dons.

Tony Watt and Jordi Gomez were also signed on loan from Charlton Athletic and Sunderland respectively during that period.

Both showed impressed in brief moments, but Watt's stay was cut short by injury, while Gomez would not return after the season had ended, after scoring three times in 19 outings.

But while those deals may not have worked out, two signings made by Blackburn Rovers in that period, most certainly did.

Danny Graham and Elliott Bennett became Ewood icons

The other two signings to make the move to the Lancashire club in the 2016 January transfer window were Danny Graham and Elliott Bennett.

Graham joined on loan from Sunderland until the end of the season, while Bennett signed on a permanent deal from Norwich City.

Both would prove to be excellent additions for the club, with Graham's strong return of seven goals in 18 games enough to earn him a permanent move to Blackburn in the summer of 2016.

That saw him join on a free transfer, following the expiration of his contract with Sunderland at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

Ultimately, the duo could not prevent Rovers from being relegated from the Championship during their first full season with the club in 2016/17.

They were though, two of the brighter sparks of that difficult period for the club, with Graham ending the season with a club-high 13 goals in all competitions.

Included in those was an excellent finish that for a memorable few moments, saw Blackburn lead Manchester United in the FA Cup at Ewood Park.

The following season, both Graham and Bennett were key figures in helping the club win promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt in the 2017/18 League One season.

They were then also integral in helping the club re-establish themselves in the second tier, Graham winning the club's Player of the Year award in their first campaign back in the Championship.

He would remain a consistent source of goals throughout so much of his time at Ewood Park, many of which proved vital to helping the club comfortably become a solid Championship team again.

In total, Graham scored 57 goals in 191 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn by the time he departed at the end of 2019/20.

Bennett meanwhile, would remain at Ewood Park for one more year, eventually calling time on his Rovers career in the summer of 2021.

By that time, his versatility made him a reliable operator in a whole range of positions and had seen him become a key figure to the club, in helping cope with the demands of the second tier.

Beyond that, the example he set with his work rate and commitment also made him the clear choice to take over the armband when club captain Charlie Mulgrew left on loan in 2019.

In the case of both Graham and Bennett, the passion they showed for the club allowed them to form and develop a strong connection with the Blackburn fanbase.

That made both of their departures a sad moment for Rovers, and it could surely be argued that the club should be looking to bring in similar players when the window reopens this January.

Blackburn should replicate Danny Graham, Elliott Bennett deals

Following the turnover in their attacking department this summer, the Ewood Park club now have Yuki Ohashi and Makhtar Gueye as their two senior centre-forward options.

While neither is short on effort, both had no previous experience of the Championship, something which is starting to show with John Eustace's side struggling for goals in recent weeks.

With that in mind, the addition of a striker such as Graham, with a proven record of getting goals at this level, feels like it must be a priority for Blackburn in January.

As well as providing the attacking firepower needed to pick up results, but the knowledge of how to trouble defences - which Graham has in abundance - is something for others to learn from.

In turn, that would put the club in a stronger position to maximise the return on their investment in the likes of Ohashi and Gueye.

Meanwhile, the addition of a player in the mould of Bennett is something that no club would really want to turn down, especially in Rovers' situation.

His ability to play in a number of positions is particularly useful in what is a relatively small squad, especially with the injuries that have been known to take their toll at Ewood Park.

Beyond that, Eustace has been keen to bring experience into this squad. At 27-years-old when he joined Blackburn, Bennett offered that without there being any concerns of tiredness setting in.

There may be an argument that 29-year-old Lewis Baker, who has struggled for game time since joining on loan from Stoke in the summer, could do that job if given the chance.

Meanwhile, bringing in players who can develop a connection with the fans in the way Graham and Bennett did, would surely help to lift morale around Ewood Park as well.

For now though, as Blackburn start to look towards the January transfer window, it does feel as though players such as Graham and Bennett, offer the ideal blueprint for what to be targeting.