Blackburn Rovers have lodged an improved bid for Nottingham Forest striker Ben Brereton, after a bid of £6m was knocked back on Wednesday.
NottinghamLive reported yesterday night that Blackburn Rovers have come in with an £8m bid for Forest striker Ben Brereton. The striker was the subject of an eleventh hour bid from Rovers on transfer deadline day as Tony Mowbray looks to strengthen his strike force for the Championship season.
With the window for permanent transfers closed, Rovers will have to pursue a deal which would see Brereton join on loan until January, when the deal would be made permanent upon the opening of the transfer window.
Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka told NottinghamLive last Sunday that Forest were reluctant to let their latest young star leave the City Ground:
“No, we are not in a rush to sell him. I like the player, I like his character and he has a bright future in front of him,”
“I have him in the squad and that is the main thing for me. He played last season and he was an important part of the team last season. This season, with his age, he will still have his games here.
“The club knows that I know how good Ben is.
“So let us see. I am happy with him. He played last season. We have Lewis (Grabban) and Daryl (Murphy) now, but he can be the third choice, he can be the first choice or he can be the second, let us see.”
£8m is a heavy investment for a Championship side, let alone a recently promoted club. It is clear that Brereton has bags of potential, having made 58 career appearances at the age of just 19. However, the youngster has scored just nine goals, picking up seven assists too. At such a young age, Brereton’s physicality is beyond his years, and certainly has a bright future.
However, competition for first team football will be rife at Ewood Park. Danny Graham played a crucial part in Rovers’ promotion season, and Adam Armstrong announced his arrival with a brace against Carlisle on Tuesday night.
Rovers have just under two weeks to try and seal a deal for Brereton, with the window for loan transfers open until the end of August.
