Rotherham United urged to look to Blackburn Rovers ahead of potential Derby County transfer swoop | OneFootball

FLW's Rotherham United fan pundit has given his verdict on the club's potential pursuit of James Collins

Rotherham United are one of the League One clubs to have have been linked with the signing of veteran striker James Collins from Derby County this month.

According to Pete O’Rourke, both Leyton Orient and the Millers are eyeing a potential move for the forward before the February 3 deadline.

The 34-year-old is out of contract at the end of the campaign, meaning the Rams may look to cash in on him now for a small fee instead of seeing him depart for nothing in the summer.

Collins has yet to score from 17 appearances in the Championship this season, having only started once, with Jerry Yates being the preferred choice at the top end of the pitch for Paul Warne.

Uncertain Rotherham United verdict issued over potential James Collins deal

When asked about the possibility of the club signing Collins, FLW’s Rotherham fan pundit Tom Eyre claimed that he’d rather they pursue someone younger first.

And he name-dropped Blackburn Rovers attacker Harry Leonard as a potential option, amid reports that two League One sides are interested in the Rochdale-born youngster.

“It is a great question because I think he’s a great striker,” Eyre told Football League World.

“I think he’d be better than Jordan Hugill, that we currently have, a better goal record in League One.

“But, having said that, I think we need to be looking younger.

“I’ve seen Harry Leonard rumoured from Blackburn, which, for me, makes sense.

“He’s a tenacious, hold-up finisher kind of player, and he’s young, so that makes perfect sense.

“But, I wouldn’t mind James Collins.

“Some of that experience and know-how in League One is also perfect, but in my honest opinion we should be going younger as our first choice.”

Rotherham are currently 13th in the League One table with 31 points from their first 24 games, 10 points behind sixth place Reading.

Harry Leonard deal would make more sense for Rotherham United

A signing like Collins would work for Rotherham if they’d managed to stay within closer distance of the promotion battle.

Bringing in a 34-year-old while firmly mid-table just wouldn’t be the best fit for Steve Evans’ side.

He will only have so many seasons left in him, and then the club will have to look to replace him again without having brought any money in for his departure, it’s a financially unsustainable way to build a team.