Blackburn Rovers readying free agent swoop to beat off EFL competition | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers are weighing up a move for Joe Sbarra ahead of the summer transfer window opening.

According to Football Insider, the Lancashire outfit are monitoring the situation surrounding the midfielder.

Sbarra departed non-league side Solihull Moors following the end of his contract with the fifth tier club.

The 25-year-old was a key part of the team, and helped them reach the play-off final this season.

However, defeat to Gateshead on penalties has seen them fail to go up to League Two for next year, leading to his exit.

Blackburn monitoring Joe Sbarra

Blackburn are looking to make improvements to John Eustace’s side ahead of their campaign in the Championship.

This has led them to considering a move for Sbarra following the end of his contract with Solihull Moors.

The midfielder has been with the club for four seasons, and has impressed with his performances since making the switch from Burton Albion.

This has led to him attracting interest from a second tier team, and he is free to make that switch after the end of his deal with the fifth division club.

It remains to be seen what kind of spending power Blackburn will have this summer, but this would be a relatively cheap transfer to complete as no fee would need to be paid to Solihull Moors.

It’s also unlikely that Sbarra will be demanding a significantly high wage or signing-on fee, so this could be a smart way to strengthen Eustace’s options without too much cost.

However, it remains to be seen whether the 25-year-old is ready to make the step back up to Championship level, having not competed in the second division since 2018.

He made 24 appearances in all competitions for the club last season, contributing three goals, as the team finished fifth in the league table.

A 5-4 penalty shootout loss to Gateshead ended their hopes of promotion, having beaten Altrincham in the play-off semi-finals.

Blackburn Rovers’ Championship survival

Blackburn narrowly avoided relegation to League One last year as they endured a difficult campaign.

A final day 2-0 victory over champions Leicester City proved crucial, as Rovers finished just three points clear of 22nd place Birmingham City.

Eustace will now be looking to build a team capable of steering clear of the bottom three next year, as he prepares his first pre-season with the club.

The 44-year-old oversaw the side’s safety after replacing Jon Dahl Tomasson in February, with the team finishing 19th in the table.

Blackburn scouring the market for improvements

The non-league market can be a lucrative one to find improvements to first team squads at a relatively low cost.

Sbarra may need some time to adjust to the increased standard of competition, but he will surely relish the chance to compete in the Championship.

This shouldn’t eat too much into Blackburn’s transfer budget, and will add some extra depth to Eustace’s midfield options, if nothing else.

This is a low-risk signing, and one that could have a big upside if he proves himself capable of stepping up to the Championship in the long run.