Blackburn and Derby are both interested in Mark Harris after it was announced the forward was leaving Cardiff City as his deal expires.

Who is Mark Harris?

The 24-year-old came through the ranks of the Bluebirds, and he has gone on to make almost 100 appearances for the club since his debut in 2017.

However, with his contract running down, there has been doubts about Harris’ future, even though the Welsh side were in talks to keep him in the capital. But, it was announced by Cardiff on Friday evening that Harris will be moving on.

And, it appears he won’t be short on offers, as The Sun journalist Alan Nixon revealed that Derby have ‘made an offer’ to the player, who turned down a three-year deal with Cardiff, whilst Blackburn could also offer him the chance to stay in the Championship.

Harris made 35 appearances for the Bluebirds in the previous campaign, but many of those came from the bench, as he struggled to truly establish himself as a regular in the best XI, especially after Sabri Lamouchi’s arrival.

Blackburn are in the market for attacking reinforcements after losing the influential Ben Brereton Diaz this summer. Meanwhile, Paul Warne is expected to make changes to the Derby squad as he looks to build a squad that can win promotion from League One next season.

Blackburn & Derby looking to sign Mark Harris

Ultimately, Harris’ decision to turn down a new deal at Cardiff in order to become a free agent means he is in a position where he is deciding his future. Clearly, he knew he was going to have offers on the table, and the chance to join either Blackburn or Derby are attractive options to the player.

Of course, Rovers would normally have an advantage as a Championship side, but if Harris is keen to play week in, week out, then he may consider dropping to the third tier, and he could become a hugely influential figure for Derby’s promotion push.

The Welsh international is reaching a crucial period in his career, so he needs to pick his next club carefully. Even though he isn’t a massive loss to Cardiff, it will still be a smart pick-up by Blackburn or Derby if they bring him in on a free transfer.