Blackburn Rovers push to sign Birmingham City star not fancied by Chris Davies | OneFootball

Patrick Roberts is wanted by his old Sunderland boss after starting the season as a substitute

Blackburn Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray is reportedly plotting a loan swoop for his former Sunderland ace, Patrick Roberts, who has seen his gametime diminish at Birmingham City in recent times.

That is according to Alan Nixon - via Patreon - after both Rovers and Blues made rather encouraging starts to the Championship season, albeit for very differing reasons.

Mowbray's side have been heavily tipped for a first relegation to League One since 2017 at the end of the campaign, but silenced many doubters as they were minutes away from defeating newly-relegated Wolves at Molineux on Friday, before a dramatic Raul Jimenez penalty saw the game end 2-2.

Meanwhile, Birmingham, who were one of the poorest away sides in last season's second tier, put in a solid defensive performance but lacked a cutting edge as they played out a goalless draw with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

However, Chris Davies' stance on Roberts' immediate future may have been made clearer during the game as his divisional counterparts look to add further quality.

Blackburn Rovers plot loan swoop for Birmingham City ace Patrick Roberts

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As per Nixon's report, it has been claimed that Mowbray, 62, is looking to dip into the loan market between now and the transfer deadline on September 1st in a bid to beef up his squad.

So far this window, Blackburn have only added the services of Sam Morsy, Moussa Baradji on a permanent basis and Jayden Fevrier, and whilst seeing Ryoya Morishita and Dapo Afolayan impress on opening night, more quality could be provided if a loan deal with Birmingham can be agreed.

Roberts was loaned to St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park from Sunderland last summer, before completing a permanent move to the West Midlands in January, before going on to feature 37 times in all competitions, scoring five goals and producing four assists.

However, he started the Championship season as an unused substitute behind January signing, Carlos Vicente.

Tony Mowbray knows how to get the best out of Patrick Roberts as Blackburn, Birmingham loan deal eyed

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Roberts has become a top-quality operator at Championship level in recent seasons, and Mowbray is someone who knows about this more than most, having managed the 29-year-old at Sunderland between August 2022 and December 2023.

During Mowbray's main season at the Stadium of Light in 2022/23, Roberts racked up five goals and seven assists in 42 games as the Black Cats made the play-offs in their first season after promotion from League One, before losing in the semi-finals to Luton Town.

Prior to his arrival, the ex-Manchester City man had been in and out of the side under Alex Neil, which led Mowbray to question such feats, claiming that the winger "is wonderful with the ball at his feet."

Overall, he has made over 200 appearances at Championship level, producing a respectable tally of 13 goals and 26 assists.

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Last season was one of immense struggle for Blackburn, who had the second-worst goal return in the entire Championship with 42, meaning further quality in terms of service and goals are needed if they are to steer clear of a relegation fight.

There were clear improvements at Molineux in the season opener, but they must last the entire season, and it is fair to say that depth isn't currently at Mowbray's disposal in certain areas.

However, the prospect of a reunion between the Rovers boss and Roberts, who was so key to Sunderland's revival, will excite supporters at Ewood Park, especially if Icelandic forward, Andri Gudjohnsen, continues to build on an impressive start to the season with two goals in league and cup.