Blackburn Rovers eyeing 7-figure move for prolific African forward - Leicester City released him in 2024 | OneFootball

Tawanda Maswanhise has scored 16 goals so far this season for the Steelmen

Blackburn Rovers are making a late move to sign prolific Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise, who was released by Championship rivals Leicester City in 2024.

This development comes after Valerien Ismael revealed that Rovers are looking to add to their attack before the transfer window closes on Monday, despite already landing Mathias Jorgensen earlier in the window from Bodø/Glimt.

The Zimbabwean attacker has been one of the standout performers in the Scottish Premiership this season, and is understood to also be attracting serious attention from elsewhere away from Ewood Park.

Blackburn Rovers plotting late move for Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise

According to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon, Blackburn's owners the Venky's are ready to back Ismael in the final days of the market, and are willing to commit a significant fee to land Maswanhise.

Nixon reports that Rovers have the budget in place and are prepared to go up to around £1.5 million for the Motherwell star, who is surely viewed as someone who can immediately add cutting edge in the final third.

The Lancashire side have apparently been tracking the 23-year-old for some time and are now hoping that a late push can succeed, with other clubs having monitored the situation but so far not turned their interest into formal bids - as per Nixon.

The Daily Record reported that the Fir Park club have effectively issued a transfer warning to potential suitors though, by stressing they will not be rushed into a sale, which came after Celtic were credited with interest from elsewhere.

Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Ismael admitted he has already seen one attacking target fall through, but has made clear that the focus in the final days of the window is firmly on offensive additions.

So, a move for a confident, in-form winger/striker like Maswanhise - who has scored 16 goals in all competitions for Motherwell this season ahead of their trip to Livingston on Saturday - fits the brief, as Rovers look to turn pressure into goals and avoid being dragged deeper into trouble.​

Maswanhise’s latest strike in the win over Kilmarnock last Saturday took him to that aforementioned 16-goal mark in all competitions - continuing a hot streak that has seen him score in four consecutive games.

Given that the Leicester academy graduate needed a two-week trial period to convince the Scottish club to originally sign him, Maswanhise has become a genuine talisman at Motherwell.

This is obviously exciting for Rovers, but it surely raises the stakes around a late move. Head of football Rudy Gestede and co will need to put forward a compelling package that can persuade Motherwell to cash in now rather than wait until the summer.

The fact that Nixon said other interested sides have yet to translate admiration into official bids could give Rovers a window of opportunity, but it again shows that this is a deal that will require conviction if it is to get over the line.