Blackburn Rovers hijack Orlando City's £2.4 million transfer move for Slovenian defender | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers are set to go on a splurge in the final stage of the January transfer window, which will be funded by teenage sensation Adam Wharton's club-record move to Crystal Palace, which will bank the Lancashire outfit an initial £18 million.

Head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson is set to strengthen in a number of positions before Thursday night's deadline, and many players are starting to be linked with switches to Ewood Park, such as Duncan McGuire of Orlando City and Sweden international midfielder Kevin Ackermann, who currently plays for IF Brommapojkarna.

They have already added experienced Coventry City centre-back Kyle McFadzean on a short-term contract, and Rovers are going after yet another defender which is perhaps a sign that Tomasson is going to utilise more of a back three for the remainder of 2023-24.

And they are poised to frustrate aforementioned MLS outfit Orlando - who they are set to sign striker McGuire from for a reported fee of $6.5 million (£5.1 million) - once more as they have reportedly hijacked their move for Slovenian defender David Brekalo.

That is according to Norwegian football reporter Arilas Ould-Saala, who claims that Blackburn have now made their own move for the 25-year-old centre-back, who is currently plying his trade for Viking of the Eliteserien.

Ould-Saala reports that Brekalo, who has 11 caps for the Slovenian national team, is the subject of an approach from Rovers after earlier claims were made that Orlando were in final negotiations to sign the defender for 32.5 million Norwegian kroner (£2.44 million).

Further information from another Scandinavian journalist - Stian Wahl of Nettavisen - suggests that Rovers have offered an initial loan deal for Brekalo, with the option to turn it into a permanent deal in the summer for between 30 and 40 million Norwegian kroner, which equates to between £2.25 million and £3 million.

Wahl also states that Orlando's offer has not yet been accepted by Viking, but if Blackburn are going to strike an agreement with the Norwegian outfit, then they will have to come up with a deal that either obligates them to purchase the 25-year-old at the end of the loan deal or just buy him outright.

Viking now have a transfer saga on their hands as Tomasson looks to now add another defender to his squad following the addition of McFadzean earlier in the day.

It must have been a frustrating first half of the season for Jon Dahl Tomasson, who didn't get backed in the summer transfer window having seen his budget cut significantly by the Venky's.

And whilst some of the Wharton fee will no doubt be going towards running costs of the club because of the fact the club's owners cannot move any money out of India right now, it will be comforting to Tomasson to see that Blackburn are making strong attempts to land new players to strengthen his hand.

Blackburn are spending serious money on McGuire from Orlando and if they also strike a deal for Brekalo too, then that will also mean at least another couple of million pounds will be spent.

Should Rovers get at least two or three new faces in before Thursday's 11pm deadline, then things could be looking up for the final three months of the 2023-24 season, and with director of football Gregg Broughton's previous links to Scandinavian football, it'll come as no surprise that Norway and Sweden are being scoured for new players.