Norwich City plotting move for Blackburn Rovers contract rebel - Celtic & Rangers have been linked recently | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan is reportedly on the radar of Norwich City as Liam Manning prepares to take over at Carrow Road.

Norwich City are reportedly weighing up a move for out-of-contract Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan.

That's according to the Pink Un, who claim that Dolan features high on Norwich's list of targets for the summer transfer window amid uncertainty over his future at Blackburn.

The Canaries are currently without a manager after parting company with Johannes Hoff Thorup last month following their failure to reach the Championship play-offs, but they are believed to be closing in on a replacement for the Dane.

After making an official approach earlier this week, Norwich are expected to name Bristol City head coach Liam Manning as their new manager in the coming days once the final details of the agreement are sorted, and the Norfolk outfit will reportedly pay a compensation fee of £800,000 for the 39-year-old's services.

Manning has not yet officially taken over at Carrow Road, and while it is believed he will be keen to hold discussions with sporting director Ben Knapper and head of recruitment Lee Dunn to stamp his mark on the club's transfer strategy, that has not stopped the Canaries hierarchy from identifying potential summer signings, with Dolan one of those in their sights.

Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan on Norwich City transfer radar

Dolan joined Blackburn from local rivals Preston North End in the summer of 2020, and he has been a key part of the first-team at Ewood Park for the last five years.

The 23-year-old enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career this season as he scored seven goals and provided six assists in 47 appearances to help Rovers to a seventh-placed finish in the Championship, but it may prove to be his last in Lancashire with his contract set to expire this summer.

Blackburn confirmed in their released and retained list that they have offered Dolan a new contract, and while there is a belief that he could receive more attractive financial proposals from other clubs, head coach Valerien Ismael insisted that he has not given up hope of retaining the winger, stating that "we will try to keep him and fight for our players".

However, Dolan struck a slightly different tone when discussing his Rovers future, hinting that while he is thankful to the club for giving him an opportunity, he would be open to the prospect of a move this summer.

"I’m very grateful to Blackburn. I’ve been through some of the worst as well as the best times in my life while being there," Dolan told The Times.

"The club means so much to me. I made my professional debut for them, and they helped me so much when Jeremy [Wisten, a friend and former Man City teammate of Dolan's] died.

"But it’s a short career, and I’ve always wanted to play at the top level, and at this point I’m a free agent with the belief in myself to perform anywhere."

Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers have both been linked with Dolan in recent weeks, but it seems that he also has interest from south of the border, with Norwich placing him near the top of their wish list as they search for reinforcements in the wide areas ahead of Borja Sainz's expected departure.

Despite the fact that Dolan is out of contract at Blackburn, whichever club signs him this summer would need to pay a compensation fee due to his age, but the required figure is thought to be "well within City’s financial range".

Tyrhys Dolan deal would be a statement of intent from Norwich City

Norwich are already set to poach the manager of the team that finished sixth in the Championship this season, and should they take one of the star players from another potential play-off rival, it would be a big coup for the club.

Dolan may not always be the most consistent winger, and as he usually plays on the opposite flank, he would not be a direct replacement for Sainz, but after registering 13 goal involvements for Blackburn this season, he would certainly add to the Canaries' attacking threat.

With top scorer Sainz and star striker Josh Sargent both likely to leave Carrow Road this summer, Manning will have plenty of work to do to bolster his forward line, but the arrival of Dolan would certainly be an exciting start to Norwich's transfer business.