Aston Villa rising star signs: Identifying 3 ideal Sammie Szmodics replacements for Blackburn Rovers | OneFootball

Despite a challenging campaign, Blackburn Rovers would ultimately avoid relegation from the Championship this season, with a 19th-place finish in the final standings.

In the end, that was largely down to the contributions of one player, in the form of Sammie Szmodics.

The 28-year-old enjoyed what was by far the best individual campaign in his playing career, with 27 goals in the league alone.

Not only did they prove vital to keeping Blackburn in the second-tier, they also secured him the Championship's Golden Boot award.

That though, has inevitably led to the attacking midfielder being linked with a number of other clubs, ahead of the summer transfer window.

Given no other player scored more than five league goals for the club during the 2023/24 campaign, it is obvious that Szmodics would have to be replaced if he was to leave Ewood Park this summer.

So with that in mind, we've taken a look at three attacking midfielders Blackburn could consider targeting in case Szmodics leaves this summer, right here.

Joel Randall

It was Peterborough who Rovers raided for the signing of Szmodics in the summer of 2022, and so they could use those links again if they need to replace him, with a move for Joel Randall.

The 24-year-old has just enjoyed an excellent campaign for the Posh, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists in all competitions for the club. As a result, he is a player with the ability to both create and finish chances, and given Blackburn will surely be hoping they are not having to rely quite so much on one individual next season, that could be just what they need.

At his age he also has plenty more to give and scope to improve. Meanwhile, with Peterborough missing out on promotion from League One this season, and with just a year remaining on Randall's contract, he may be an affordable target for Blackburn. Indeed, the money will hope they have available from the potential sale of Szmodics, as well as Adam Wharton's January exit and a sell-on clause that looks set to be triggered when David Raya moves permanently to Arsenal, should ensure they have money to spend.

Omari Kellyman

It may be the case that Blackburn need to exploit the loan market again next season, and if they find themselves doing so while looking for a replacement for Szmodics, they could target Omari Kellyman.

The 18-year-old has already become a regular scorer for Aston Villa's Under 21s - including a goal against Sutton's first-team in the EFL Trophy season - which has seen him make a handful of appearances for the first-team under Unai Emery this season.

That does highlight his potential, with Kellyman an exciting talent who could thrive with a loan move that allows him to play regularly in the coming campaign. With left-back Ben Chrisene enjoying a successful loan spell at Ewood Park from Villa in the second-half of this season, this could be a signing Blackburn have a good chance of securing, should it be one they wish to pursue.

Andreas Weimann

If Rovers need to keep costs down by exploring the free agent market to fill this role, another option they could consider is Andreas Weimann.

The Austrian is currently a free agent after being released by Bristol City at the end of this season, following a loan spell with West Brom. At 32-years-old, Weimann is now approaching the latter stages of his career, but on the basis of recent performances, still has something to offer.

Indeed, his experience of the Championship over many years could be useful in what is still a relatively inexperienced Blackburn squad, while also being capable of contributing some important goals, as demonstrated by his stint with the play-off chasing Baggies in recent months.