"It'll be £1m wasted" - Blackburn Rovers warned off making Birmingham City transfer move | OneFootball

FLW's Rovers fan pundit has issued his thoughts on a potential permanent swoop for Dion Sanderson

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Blackburn Rovers face a major decision this summer as they weigh up whether to trigger a £1 million option to sign defender Dion Sanderson permanently from Birmingham City.

The 25-year-old centre-back joined on loan at Ewood Park in the January window under John Eustace, but he didn't cement a regular starting position under his successor Valerien Ismael, making just 12 Championship appearances with only four starts.

For Sanderson, who has struggled for game-time also at his parent club Birmingham, making just two league appearances this season before the loan switch, the summer will surely represent another crossroads in a career that has already seen him represent multiple Championship clubs.

Blackburn Rovers told to spend the money elsewhere amid Dion Sanderson dilemma

We asked our FLW Blackburn Fan Pundit, Simon Middlehurst, for his thoughts on whether Rovers should take up their option on Sanderson this summer.

"It's a bit of a weird one, obviously he did only start four games while with us on loan - and Dom Hyam and Danny Batth were the two main centre backs," Simon told FLW

"We got Hayden Carter back from injury, Scott Wharton, hopefully he'll get a good preseason under his belt after having a year out through injury.

"So I think it'll be £1 million wasted. We don't have that big of a budget as it is and I think the money needs to be spent elsewhere, in positions that we actually need.

"Actually looking at the squad, defenders isn't what we're short of. The money can be better spent elsewhere."

It's hard to argue with Simon's assessment given Blackburn's current defensive depth.

Danny Batth has been a cornerstone of the Rovers backline this season, appearing in 37 of their league fixtures. Even at 34, the club are already in talks to extend his stay in Lancashire beyond this summer.

Blackburn defenders returning from injury could hamper Dion Sanderson's Rovers return

With Hayden Carter's recent return from a four-month injury layoff and Scott Wharton expected to rejoin the squad for pre-season after a lengthy absence, Blackburn's central defensive options are looking strong.

While the £1 million fee for a 25-year-old defender with Championship experience might seem reasonable, Blackburn's recruitment team could potentially consider whether those funds could have a bigger impact elsewhere in the squad.

Sanderson initially reunited with John Eustace for the third time in his career when arriving in Lancashire. Now in charge at Derby County, it seems increasingly likely that Ismael and Rovers will pass on their purchase option and redirect those resources to areas of greater need.