Blackburn Rovers eyeing up transfer for £9m Brighton man - Birmingham City spell hasn't gone to plan | OneFootball

The Lancashire outfit want to capitalize on Eiran Cashin's failed Blues spell

Blackburn Rovers want to sign Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Eiran Cashin, whose current Birmingham City loan hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

The Republic of Ireland youth international arrived at Blues in the summer with big expectations following his time at Derby County, where he made 144 appearances across all competitions after rising through the ranks and emerging as one of the EFL's most promising defenders.

Cashin's performances with the Rams earned him a move to the Premier League last January, with the Seagulls securing his services for a reported £9m - but he was temporarily shipped to the West Midlands after six months on the South Coast, where he had struggled to establish himself in the first-team frame.

Now it seems as though the 24-year-old could be on his way to Lancashire for the rest of the season, and the deal could potentially be made permanent.

Blackburn Rovers eyeing up move for Brighton defender Eiran Cashin

As per journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon, Blackburn are now pursuing the former Derby favourite as they look to bolster their defensive options during the January transfer window.

The report states that he’s not featured as regularly as he would have hoped during his spell at St. Andrew's, leading to fresh speculation about his immediate future in the Championship.

Rovers would apparently take Cashin off Birmingham's hands on loan rather than pursue an immediate permanent deal, though Nixon has indicated the club could be open to adding a permanent element to any arrangement if Brighton believe that would serve their interests.

Nixon then states that the relationship between Rovers and the Seagulls is understood to be a positive one, which could prove key in facilitating such a move during this window.

In truth, the move would definitely be a shrewd one from Rovers’ head coach Valerien Ismael, even if the Frenchman has been more vocal about his need to strengthen the club's forward line - as reported by The Lancashire Telegraph.

Eiran Cashin could swap Birmingham City for Blackburn Rovers in January

Blackburn's apparent interest in Cashin comes after Ismael’s remarks in December about how the Venky’s need to act fast to get players signed this transfer window - so the owners might actually be listening.

Cashin has made just ten Championship appearances for Chris Davies' side so far this season, accumulating only 390 minutes of football. In reality, his playing time has been even more restricted than those figures might suggest, with only three starts granted to him among a host of substitute appearances and spells on the sidelines.

For a player who spent the previous four seasons with Derby's first-team and was twice voted their Young Player of the Season, this lack of game time has obviously been a huge setback in his career.

Whether Blackburn can successfully negotiate a deal - either temporary or permanent - with Brighton remains to be seen, but Nixon's report suggests work is underway for Rovers to pounce on his failed Birmingham move.