Ex-Coventry City star can’t believe he’s a free agent - Blackburn & Cardiff must react | OneFootball

These two Championship clubs should take a look at signing Jamie Allen as a free agent

Jamie Allen was a part of the Coventry City side that earned promotion to the Premier League under Frank Lampard last season.

The midfielder played 23 times in the league, including making four starts, as the Sky Blues won the Championship title.

Cov ended a 25-year wait for top flight football, finishing ahead of Ipswich Town and Millwall to seal automatic promotion.

But their success led to the 31-year-old departing the CBS Arena at the end of the campaign due to the expiry of his contract, with Lampard opting to strengthen his midfield further.

And while Coventry compete in the Premier League, Allen remains without a new club even after the close of the summer transfer window.

Here, we look at two clubs in the EFL who should absolutely eye a move for the former Sky Blue, with free agents still open for registration...

Blackburn Rovers

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Allen has opened up on how hungry he is to get back to playing football, as he continues to look for a new club.

And a move to Blackburn Rovers could make a lot of sense for the ex-Coventry star, as the Lancashire outfit are still searching for reinforcements in their midfield.

Tony Mowbray’s side saw an attempt to sign midfielder Ryotaro Ito collapse earlier this week due to a fitness issue.

This suggests that the club are keen to reinforce their options in this area of the pitch, despite Ito being more of a number 10, and Allen would be a smart alternative option as a deeper midfielder.

Not only does he have a vast amount of Championship experience, but he also knows the standard it takes to compete at the top end of the division as well.

The 31-year-old’s game-time declined in the last couple of seasons, but he was still a valuable contributor as Coventry competed for promotion to the Premier League.

So he still has more than enough to give to Rovers, as they look to avoid another relegation battle this year after coming 20th in the table in 2025/26.

Cardiff City

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Cardiff City have named just 21 senior players in their 25-man squad, and are a little light in midfield in their first year back in the Championship.

The Bluebirds have promoted a lot of younger players under Brian Barry-Murphy, but adding some experience could also be quite useful.

Allen knows the Championship inside and out, and could provide the kind of leadership quality that this dressing room could use in their bid to survive in the division.

It looks like Barry-Murphy may select Alex Robertson and Joel Colwill as his starting double pivot for now, with David Turnbull and teenager Rob Tankiewicz in reserve, but it's a young crop in general, and adding some extra experience and depth through someone like Allen would make a lot of sense.

Allen is raring to go again with a new club, a place like the Welsh outfit could be what he needs at this stage of his career.

The 31-year-old still has plenty to offer at a Championship level, and his calmness in possession could be what the team needs.

Allen completed 42.33 passes per 90 last season, at a rate of 89.4 per cent, while still managing to create 0.94 chances from a deeper role (all stats from Fotmob).