Blackburn Rovers facing £1m transfer dilemma over Birmingham City player | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers are now considering whether to buy Dion Sanderson from Birmingham City for £1m.

Blackburn Rovers are considering whether or not to trigger a £1m buy option for Dion Sanderson, according to reports.

The defender joined the Blue and Whites on loan from League One Birmingham City in January 2025, adding depth to John Eustace and then Valerien Ismael's options in the second half of the season.

And despite only starting four times for the Lancashire outfit, Sanderson could still yet become a permanent Blackburn player this summer.

Blackburn Rovers weighing up £1m Dion Sanderson transfer

According to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, Valerien Ismael's side are considering whether they should trigger a £1m option to buy Sanderson permanently from Birmingham, where he fell out of favour.

The 25-year-old made 12 Championship appearances for Blackburn during his stint at Ewood Park, and recently told RoversTV that he remains unsure where he'll be playing his football next term.

As per Nixon's report, the deal also faces a deadline at the end of May to be completed, whilst there are other potential stumbling blocks that could have an impact on the transfer.

Ex-Wolves defender Sanderson was reunited with Eustace for the third time in his career at Ewood Park in the winter, but he was more used as a squad players rather than an out-and-out starter.

Game-time was also limited at Birmingham, which saw him available for a move away from the club, and given the strength of their defence and new signing Phil Neumann is also on his way to St. Andrew's, it could be a similar story next season if Sanderson remains.

Blackburn are now reportedly weighing up a move to make the 25-year-old a permanent addition to their squad. The option for the Lancashire outfit to trigger a £1m deal for the defender is available, and the former Premier League champions are now set to decide whether they want to bring Sanderson to the club before the end of the month.

Other factors likely to dictate Blackburn Rovers, Dion Sanderson transfer decision

Whilst Blackburn weigh up their final decision on Sanderson, which is expected to be known by the end of the month, Nixon also suggested that other factors at the club could have an impact on the outcome of their decision.

Firstly, as was also broken by the journalist a couple of weeks ago, the Championship side are keen to lock down fellow centre-back Danny Batth to a new contract.

The veteran defender has been outstanding for Rovers this season, and Ismael is keen to keep him at the club. The outcome of contract negotiations with Batth could reportedly have an impact on Sanderson's future at Ewood Park.

Another factor added to the mix is the fact that Blackburn will be without Scott Wharton for the start of next season, who is facing more time on the sidelines as he continues to recover from an ACL injury that he suffered back in April 2024, ruling him out for the entire 2024/25 season.

As the clock ticks down towards the reported deadline of the end of May, the Blue and Whites must carefully consider all their options before they activate the £1m buy option to bring the 25-year-old back to Lancashire on a permanent basis.