Blackburn Rovers face transfer exit threat as AC Milan and Juventus plot raid | OneFootball

Two of the biggest clubs in Italy want the Rovers prospect.

AC Milan and Juventus are targeting a move for Blackburn Rovers defender Silver Eze, who is yet to commit his long-term future to the club.

It's not often that clubs with the history and prestige of the Rossoneri and the Old Lady come after youngsters from the English second division, so when they do, you know they are serious.

Blackburn has been a hub for exciting young footballers over the past couple of years. Adam Wharton, most famously, went on to represent England at a World Cup and won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace after his £20 million move to Selhurst Park in January 2024.

Another of Rovers' up-and-comers, Rory Finneran, was poached by Newcastle United. He made his first-team debut for the club as a 16-year-old, coming on as a substitute against Cambridge United in the FA Cup third round.

AC Milan and Juventus targeting Blackburn Rovers teenager Silver Eze

Eze is another one to add to that list. According to Pete O'Rourke, the 16-year-old is being scouted by AC and Juve ahead of this summer.

The defender only joined Blackburn in November from League Two side Accrington Stanley for £120,000, as per Alan Nixon. He played for the first-team in pre-season contests when he was only 15. Since arriving at Ewood Park he has played a good handful of games for the club's under-18s team.

Nixon reported that interest in the teenager was coming from the Serie A at the beginning of April, but the interested teams weren't specifically named.

Eze is yet to sign a scholarship deal with the Championship outfit, as per O'Rourke, leaving him open to offers from Italy. The defender, who is an Italian citizen, has previously been called up by the nation's youth teams.

Should he be poached away from Blackburn, whichever club signs him will have to pay a compensation fee to Rovers. However, in this scenario, moving to a non-English club could lead to the Lancashire side getting less than they would've had Eze stayed in the country.

Blackburn are being hurt by their own success

When teams like AC Milan and Juventus come knocking, as players who aren't at the highest of levels, it's always going to be hard to turn them down, especially for someone like Eze who has strong Italian connections.

But even if you took someone without that link, a random Blackburn player - Dominic Hyam, for example - how easy would it be for them to turn down the opportunity to potentially play at the San Siro week in week out, or play in European competitions with Juve? It's such an enticing opportunity for anybody.

Blackburn finished just outside the play-off spots in England's second division this season. Now, had their performances and status over recent years matched the level of the products coming out of their academy system, then they'd be able to hold onto players like Eze and Finneran much more easily.

Their youth development outshines the first-team at times, and, while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it'll make it harder for Eze and other teenage talents to turn down bigger and better opportunities.