Football League World
·18 August 2024
Blackburn Rovers agree transfer deal for 15-goal striker
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Football League World
·18 August 2024
Blackburn Rovers may have already found an ideal Sammie Szmodics replacement.
Blackburn Rovers have agreed a deal to sign Júbilo Iwata striker Ryo Germain, in what would be the second transfer of the summer involving the Lancashire outfit and a Japanese player.
This is according to transfer guru Alan Nixon, who has confirmed via his Patreon account that a cheap price has been agreed between Rovers and Germain's current club.
This comes during the same week that last season's top goalscorer Sammie Szmodics departed the club for Ipswich Town, for a fee that could rise to £11 million.
As well as this, Blackburn also saw long-term forward Sam Gallagher exit earlier in the window too for Stoke City, and whilst Makhtar Gueye and Yuki Ohashi have already signed on at Ewood Park, it is no surprise to see John Eustace line up another addition to bolster his front-line.
For the second time this window, it appears that Blackburn have entered the J League market to sign a new striker.
Earlier this summer, they signed Yuki Ohashi from Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and he’s already made a significant impact with three goals and an assist in his first three appearances in all competitions for Rovers.
With this fresh in their minds, they seem set to make their next addition from the Land of the Rising Sun, as they have agreed a deal for Germain.
The fee for the transfer hasn't been disclosed, but Nixon reports that the deal is likely on the cheaper side. This comes as no surprise, considering the Japanese striker's contract with his parent club is set to expire in January 2025 - just over five months from now.
In addition to this, Blackburn fans will be pleased to know that Germain is really keen to make the move to Lancashire, as he looks to set a marker down in the Championship.
This will certainly bolster Eustace's options up top, and his arrival may provide space for the loan departure of someone like Jack Vale.
Although only three games have passed, Blackburn have already displayed their ability to finish, with 12 goals in the subsequent amount of games - albeit six were bagged against an under-strength Stockport County side in the EFL Cup.
Their average of four goals per game is bound to dip, but Eustace will be hopeful that the team can keep taking their chances as the season progresses.
The signing of Germain should only benefit this. In the past two seasons, the striker has netted 24 in 52 games, with 15 in 21 so far this season in the top flight of Japanese football.
Additionally, a significant bonus for Blackburn in signing the Japanese star is that he will arrive match-fit, as Júbilo Iwata are two-thirds of the way through their season.
Given his form, he will arrive in peak confidence then, and this could prove a shrewd addition to an already blossoming attack - that is if the deal is signed off on and Germain obtains the necessary work permits.