Blackburn Rovers: Tony Mowbray eyeing up January transfer raid of former club Sunderland | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers are eyeing up a January move for Sunderland and Ukraine youth international Timur Tutyerov.

Championship side Blackburn Rovers are eyeing up a January move for Sunderland attacker Timur Tutierov, according to reports.

Rovers - who currently sit 16th in the Championship and are managed by former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray - are reportedly looking to raid his old club in January for one of their most exciting young prospects.

Blackburn Rovers plotting winter swoop for Sunderland's Timur Tutierov

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Rovers have made a solid yet unspectacular start to life under new boss Mowbray, as they sit mid-table in the Championship at the first international break, with two wins, three draws and three defeats in their opening eight league matches.

The former Premier League champions are looking to push away from the bottom of the table, and find some stability under the stewardship of the vastly-experienced Mowbray.

With the transfer window closed, the 62-year-old has to make do with his current crop of players until January, but that doesn't mean planning for the next window hasn't already started.

According to fresh reports from Nixon via his Patreon page, Blackburn are eyeing up a winter move for Sunderland attacker Tutierov, who is struggling to break into the Black Cats' first team.

Tutierov, 21, joined the Wearside outfit in the summer of 2023 from Ukrainian side Kolos Kovalivka, but wouldn't make his senior debut for the club until August 2026, with an 11-minute cameo in a 1-0 win over Hull City in the EFL Cup.

With that in mind, a loan to the Championship is reportedly being explored by Sunderland, with Blackburn said to be checking him out ahead of a potential January swoop for his services.

The lowdown on Blackburn Rovers target Timur Tutierov

It's fair to say that Tutierov's name might not be one Blackburn fans are familiar with, given his emergence onto the scene at Sunderland has only come recently.

The 21-year-old spent his youth career in his native Ukraine before making the move to Wearside at the age of 17, eventually earning a promotion to the first team a year after his arrival.

Tutierov has been capped at both under-18 and under-21 level for his country, with 10 caps and two goals for the 18s, and five caps and no goals thus far for the 21s.

Primarily operating as a left-winger but capable of playing on the opposite flank, as a number 10 or even a striker, the Ukrainian has impressed during his time at the Academy of Light, showing his abilities as a versatile forward who has an excellent eye for goal.

Tutierov earned his first taste of senior football in England back in January with a loan move to, at the time, League One side Exeter City, where he scored three goals and assisted once in 17 outings for the Grecians, who were relegated to League Two.

Since returning to his parent club, the young attacker has signed a contract extension and made his senior debut, often appearing on the bench in Regis Le Bris' Premier League squad too.

Blackburn Rovers may have an ace up their sleeve to land Tutierov

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Whilst further interest may arise in Tutierov between now and January, Blackburn may find themselves in pole position to land his services thanks to some of their staff's connection with Sunderland.

Current Rovers boss Mowbray was the man in charge of the Black Cats when Tutierov signed for the club, but more importantly, his assistant, Mike Dodds, was also a hugely respected figure on Wearside thanks to his ability to grow young players.

Dodds, the man credited with playing a huge role in the emergence of the Bellingham brothers, left Sunderland to become Wycombe Wanderers head coach in February 2025, but is still renowned for his excellent work in player development at the now Premier League side to this day.

With that in mind, Blackburn might be seen as an ideal destination for Tutierov to go and develop by Sunderland, as they've already seen first-hand what their coaching team can do with exciting young players.