The ex-Blackburn Rovers man who just outshone Viktor Gyokeres - Ewood Park won’t believe it | OneFootball

Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Yasin Ayari netted a brace for Sweden against Tunisia on Tuesday

Blackburn Rovers are preparing for another year of Championship football, with preparations well underway at Ewood Park for the next campaign following the opening of the summer transfer window.

Things at Ewood Park are beginning to click into gear, with the Lancashire-based outfit having appointed Tony Mowbray as their new manager, with the 62-year-old returning to the helm four years after previously leaving the club.

Mowbray's appointment comes off the back of Michael O'Neill turning down a three-year deal to remain at Blackburn, with the Northern Irishman having been appointed on a short-term deal following Valerien Ismael's dismissal to steer the club away from relegation, which he did successfully.

O'Neill's rejection was far from ideal for the former Premier League champions, who have since turned to Mowbray following this bitter blow.

Rovers supporters will be hoping Mowbray can work some magic in the transfer window to improve their current side, but with a historically tight budget, they may have to dip into the loan market across the board.

The likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Harvey Elliot, Tosin Adarabioyo, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyler Morton, George Hirst, James Hill, and Eiran Cashin have all made the move to Ewood Park on loan over recent years, as one of their other previous loan stars has just stolen the spotlight for his national team at the World Cup, in what may shock some Blackburn fans.

Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Yasin Ayari netted twice for Sweden at the World Cup to outshine Viktor Gyokeres

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Blackburn have found some real success with loans over recent years, with numerous high-profile players having spent a year or so developing with the Lancashire outfit, with Ayari, 22, being no exception.

The current Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder came through the ranks at AIK in his native Sweden before joining Brighton in January 2023, spending two spells out on loan, first with Coventry City and then with Blackburn during the 2023/24 campaign.

However, Ayari only managed just ten league appearances during his spell at Ewood Park, playing the full 90 minutes just once under former boss John Eustace, with the likes of Sondre Tronstad, Joe Rankin-Costello, Andrew Moran, and John Fleck offering stern competition in the middle of the park.

Blackburn fans, therefore, probably don't remember too much of Ayari, having only caught glimpses of him in action, but for those who stayed up until the early hours to watch Sweden decimate Tunisia 5-1, they will have seen Ayari net twice and steal the show.

The midfielder netted the opening goal in the 7th minute with a rasping strike from outside the area, and chose not to celebrate due to his father being Tunisian, before scoring his second in the 96th minute, where he decided that this time he would indeed enjoy the moment.

His performance helped Graham Potter's side to an emphatic victory and an important result to begin their World Cup campaign, having just recently come off the back of a solid campaign in the Premier League with Brighton, making 29 Premier League appearances across the season for the Seagulls.

At just 22, Ayari will likely only continue to go from strength to strength, and Blackburn fans may be surprised to see him doing so well considering his quiet loan spell with the club just a couple of years ago.

Tony Mowbray should be looking to strike up similar deals to Yasin Ayari this summer at Blackburn Rovers following World Cup evidence

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With Ayari shining at the World Cup, he is just one of several former Blackburn loanees who have gone on to thrive elsewhere following spells at Ewood Park.

The Lancashire outfit has found a large degree of success with loanees over the years, and should be aiming to continue this trend this summer following the appointment of Mowbray.

Blackburn must look to massively improve their squad over the summer, having only survived relegation by the skin of their teeth last time around, and cannot afford to find themselves in a similar position next season.

Ayari is another example of Blackburn's ability to identify loan talent, and they should be looking to do similar over the coming weeks and months.