Blackburn Rovers told what they need to do to sign Augustus Kargbo | OneFootball

Augustus Kargbo has been strongly linked with a move to Ewood Park this month.

Blackburn Rovers have been told to up their bid or expect Cesena striker Augustus Kargbo to remain with the Serie B side.

That's according to a report from Italian news site il Resto del Carlino on 29 January, as John Eustace appears to have suffered a setback in the pursuit of a new addition to his forward line.

Rovers had been reported as having reignited their summer interest in Kargbo over the last week, after he was linked with a move to Ewood Park at the start of the season.

Blackburn are understood to be in the market for a new centre-forward before the transfer window closes on 3 February, but they may now have to move on to other targets.

Blackburn Rovers told to up Augustus Kargbo offer or prepare to see him remain with Cesena

Kargbo is clearly a player that Blackburn have identified as being a strong addition to their squad, as reports emerged of a £675,000 bid being tabled for the Sierra Leone international on 24 January.

However, that offer is understood to have fallen considerably short of Cesena's £1m asking price for the 25-year-old striker, with Rovers now considering whether to increase their bid or not.

According to a report from il Resto del Carlino, Blackburn will need to do so should they want any chance of bringing the centre-forward to Ewood Park before the window closes, as it's stated that there is a growing feeling in Italy that Kargbo will remain with the Serie B outfit.

Perhaps even more alarmingly from a Blackburn perspective, il Resto del Carlino's report also states that Cesena have cooled their interest in Sassuolo forward Flavio Russo, who would appear to have been lined up as Kargbo's replacement.

That would suggest that there is enough confidence from the Emilia-Romagna-based club that they will not be required to find a replacement for Kargbo this winter.

Blackburn must address goalscoring issue ahead of play-off push

Whether it's Kargbo or someone else, Blackburn must find a way to sharpen their cutting edge before the transfer deadline passes.

Heading into their Lancashire derby clash with Preston North End on Friday night, Rovers have scored just 32 goals in the Championship so far this season - the fewest number of any current top-half side (as of 29/01/25).

Eustace's side are averaging 1.1 goals per game, which is the 15th-lowest in the division as things stand - per FotMob. As such, they've been finding it difficult to pick up three points on a consistent basis of late.

With no wins in three heading into matchday 30, and with top scorer Andreas Weimann on six goals, Blackburn could really do with an injection of quality into their attack force.

Makhtar Gueye, whilst performing well in terms of providing assists, has struggled to find the back of the net so far this term, and although Yuki Ohashi is nearing a return from injury after missing the last month with an ankle problem, he could take a number of games to get back to full match sharpness.

Therefore, if Kargbo is the priority target, then Rovers should look to push on with a deal quickly and provide Eustace with a boost to his attacking arsenal.