HIGHLIGHTS

  • Head coach of Blackburn Rovers Jon Dahl Tomasson is adamant that his team needs assistance during the January transfer window.Blackburn’s quest for a top-six position has been hindered by injuries and a lack of depth.Crewe Alexandra center-back Connor O’Riordan is being targeted by Blackburn for a possible £500,000 transfer.
    Today’s football league global videoTO SEE MORE CONTENT, SCROLLFollowing his team’s Saturday loss to Southampton, Blackburn Rovers head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson stated that his team needs reinforcements during the January transfer window.

    After missing out on a spot in the Championship play-offs on goal differential alone on the last day of the previous campaign, the Ewood Park team has occasionally showed that they can perform even better this year.

    But a slew of injuries coupled with a weak first-team roster have resulted in performances like the crushing they suffered at Southampton over the weekend, which already threatens to cost them in the race for that much sought-after top six berth.

    Consequently, adding more players in January might be essential to their chances of winning the entire season, as Tomasson indicates.

    It appears that Blackburn is prepared to take their head coach’s advice to heart as soon as the market opens.

    Rovers planning a raid on Crewe move

    Blackburn is reportedly looking to recruit Crewe Alexandra center defender Connor O’Riordan during the January transfer window, according to recent claims from The Daily Mirror’s Live Transfer Blog (15/12, 10:28am).

    In fact, it’s believed that the Championship team may be prepared to move for the 20-year-old as soon as the transfer window opens up again.

Connor O’Riordan Crewe Alexandra record (all competitions) – stats from Transfermarkt
Season Appearances Goals Assists
2023/24 21 3 0
2022/23 18 3 0
2021/22 13 0 1
As of 19th December 2023

With about 18 months left on his Gresty Road deal, the defender could potentially cost Blackburn approximately £500,000 at the beginning of the season.

The arrival of O’Riordan as a central defense alternative might be beneficial, especially considering the injuries that Rovers have recently had to cope with to players like Dom Hyam and Hayden Carter.

It can also be argued that Blackburn’s recent past may work in their favor as they attempt to finalize their most recent transfer deal with Crewe.

Signing Pickering might aid Blackburn in pursuing O’Riordan

Harry Pickering, a left-back, was another defender from Crewe that Blackburn signed during the January 2021 transfer window.

Pickering was returned to the Railwaymen for the second half of the 2020–21 season as part of that agreement, which undoubtedly benefited the Gresty Road team.

A month before his transfer to Ewood Park was officially announced, the left-back had received the captain’s armband at Crewe because Perry Ng had been suspended.

Another player set to leave the team in the January transfer window was Ng, who joined Cardiff City, a rival team in the Championship.

Pickering’s decision to replace Ng with a permanent loan to Crewe for the second half of the 2020–21 season relieved some of the strain on the club by ensuring they would only need to replace one important full-back during that window as opposed to two.

Such an agreement also gave the club a valuable source of leadership, as they went on to earn a more than respectable 12th place finish in League One, in their first season following promotion, since Pickering remained to captain the team during his loan term with Crewe.

LINKED
League Two defender Connor O’Riordan is receiving great reviews for the Railwaymen, and Blackburn Rovers are reportedly planning a £500k January raid for him. It looks like O’Riordan will soon be moving to the Championship.

Thus, there should be a good rapport between Blackburn and Crewe given that they were able to agree on a loan agreement for Pickering right away after he signed with the Ewood Park club, which would then assist the Railwaymen during that loan.

Thus, if Blackburn and Crewe are to have talks over O’Riordan’s possible signing in January, that might facilitate the process of negotiations between the two teams.

In fact, O’Riordan himself may find the thought of moving to Ewood Park alluring since he had been a member of Crewe’s academy for a while before Pickering left the team and he now had the opportunity to play alongside him at Championship level.

Taking all of things into consideration, it would appear that Blackburn Rovers could find success in Crewe as they search for the crucial assistance that Tomasson is hoping for in January.

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