Szmodics stays: John Eustace will be on cloud nine if these things happen at Blackburn Rovers | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers will need to be active in the summer transfer window if they are to avoid a repeat of this season.

Having again been challenging for a place in the Championship play-offs around the midway stage of the campaign, the Ewood Park club then endured a drastic drop off in form.

It ultimately needed a 2-0 win over Leicester City on the final day of the season to secure Rovers' top-flight status.

After being brought in at the start of February to oversee that fight for survival following the departure of Jon Dahl Tomasson, head coach John Eustace is now set for his first transfer window with the club.

The 44-year-old will therefore, no doubt have plans for what he wants to happen in the market in the coming months, as he looks to put his own mark on this squad.

So with that in mind, we've taken a look at three things Eustace would surely be delighted to see happen at Blackburn Rovers during the summer transfer window, right here.

Sammie Szmodics stays

There is no getting away from the fact that Blackburn would almost certainly have been relegated this season, where it not for the contributions of Sammie Szmodics.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a remarkable campaign that saw him score 33 goals in all competitions, with his 27 in the Championship enough to earn him the competition's Golden Boot.

Inevitably, there has already been intense speculation about a potential move elsewhere for the Republic of Ireland international ahead of the summer transfer window.

Given the immense importance of his goals to the side, keeping Szmodics will be key to any hopes Blackburn have of pushing forward next season, and would represent a welcome show of strength and intent from the club amid those rumours, that could bode well moving forward.

New Kyle McFadzean contract

Back in the January transfer window, Kyle McFadzean joined Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer from Championship rivals Coventry City, signing a contract until the end of the season.

It proved to be an inspired piece of business, with the 37-year-old producing a string of excellent performances that helped majorly when it came to solidifying the club's defence.

His experience and leadership also looked invaluable to Blackburn's backline, and Eustace has previously confirmed he wants to keep the centre back at Ewood Park for the 2024/25 campaign.

Indeed, Rovers are already in talks over a new deal amid interest from elsewhere. So with Scott Wharton set to miss much of the upcoming campaign due to a serious injury, a new deal for McFadzean would represent a major boost to the club's defensive options in a number of different ways.

Sign a new centre forward

Eustace reiterated on a number of occasions that Blackburn were relying too much on the aforementioned Szmodics in front of goal this season, and he will no doubt want to see action in the transfer market that changes that.

Things may of course have been different had a deadline day move for Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire not been botched due to an administrative error on the final day of the January transfer window.

Resurrecting that deal, or bringing in another option to lead the line, could ensure Rovers take the chances they were missing at times this season, which would have earned them more positive results than they actually picked up.

Bringing in a new striker, will therefore surely be key to any hope Eustace has of taking his Blackburn side back up the Championship table next season.

Full-back cover added

Ben Chrisene has now returned to Aston Villa following the expiration of his loan spell with Blackburn, while Joe Rankin-Costello ended the season in a central midfield role he seemingly prefers.

As a result, Eustace now finds himself somewhat lacking in alternative senior options to Harry Pickering and Callum Brittain on the left and right of his defence respectively.

Those though, are not areas where they can afford to leave themselves short on options, especially when you consider how vulnerable they were to crosses at times during the most recent campaign.

Bringing in some extra options at full-back could therefore be a sensible move for Rovers to make, ensuring they have that all-important depth in as manay areas of the squad as possible.