Blackburn see off Premier League competition to secure deal for striker

Blackburn are set to win the race to sign youngster Igor Tyjon from Rochdale, despite interest from Brighton.

Blackburn to sign Igor Tyjon from Rochdale ahead of Brighton

Blackburn are expected to win the race to sign Rochdale youngster Igor Tyjon, despite the Premier League interest in the player.

Who is Igor Tyjon?

The 16-year-old striker isn’t a name that many fans will know about, but the teenager has been making a name for himself in Rochdale’s youth team due to his outstanding goalscoring ability.

With Rochdale having dropped to the National League, they know that they aren’t in a position to keep hold of the attacker. That saw the player linked with moves to both Newcastle United and Brighton, with reports stating that the latter were pushing to get a deal done.

But, it now seems as though Tyjon will be moving to Ewood Park, as the Daily Mail revealed that they are going to win the race for the player.

“Brighton have also been taking a look at young Rochdale striker Igor Tyjon, but he is now poised to join Blackburn Rovers.”

Of course, the Seagulls have developed a reputation as one of the top clubs in the country when it comes to identifying and improving youngsters, so the fact that he has opted to join Rovers is a real coup for the Championship side.

What role will Igor Tyjon play at Blackburn?

Obviously, this is a signing very much for the future, with the 16-year-old sure to link up with the Blackburn development sides for the next few years. The player wasn’t featuring for Rochdale, so it’s going to be a long time before he is ready to play in the Championship.

Of course, this is to be expected, but you can be sure the coaching staff at Blackburn have a clear plan in mind for Tyjon, and the fact he is set to move to Ewood Park shows that he is happy with the talks that have taken place.

So, there will need to be patience from the fans, but this is a deal that could turn out to be a shrewd bit of business in the years to come. We know that Blackburn are a club that will give youngsters a chance, and he fits the profile of what they want.

Blackburn summer transfer plans

This is not a signing that’s going to impact Jon Dahl Tomasson’s squad this summer, so the Dane will still be desperate to bring in new recruits.

After just missing out on the play-offs last season, there’s clearly a lot of quality in the ranks, but the loss of Ben Brereton Diaz is a big one, and further additions are required if Rovers are to be competitive in what is a very tough Championship next season.

But, fans will be pleased with the signings that have been made so far, and Tomasson has called for more firepower, so it will be interesting to see who else comes through the door.

Blackburn begin their Championship campaign against West Brom, who they host on August 5. Tomasson’s squad are currently away in Austria as they step up their pre-season preparations ahead of the opener.