Rovers had a fantastic inaugural campaign under Jon Dahl Tomasson the previous season, but they were devastated to lose out on goal differential and the play-offs.
Despite Saturday’s 3-1 loss to bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, Blackburn is still very much in the running for the top six.
Tomasson’s team is currently two points out of the play-off spots in the table, sitting in seventh place. They will be back in action on Saturday at Ewood Park when they host Leeds United, who are currently in third place.
Rovers’ strong start is more impressive considering they lost star striker Ben Brereton Diaz in the summer, with the 24-year-old making the move to Villareal after five years in Lancashire.
Brereton Diaz initially joined Blackburn on loan from Nottingham Forest in August 2018, and eyebrows were raised when Rovers paid £7 million to sign him permanently in January 2019, but it certainly turned out to be money well spent.
But Brereton Diaz’s call up to the Chile squad in 2021 sparked a remarkable turnaround in his fortunes, and after returning from international duty, he scored 22 goals and provided three assists in 39 appearances during the 2021-22 campaign.
Brereton Diaz’s form declined slightly last season, but he still remained a significant threat for Rovers, netting 16 goals and providing four assists in 55 appearances, and he joined Villareal on a free transfer this summer at the end of his contract.
While Blackburn will have been delighted with Brereton Diaz’s performances on the pitch, they may be disappointed they did not receive a sizeable transfer fee for his services.
There was plenty of interest in Brereton Diaz, with Everton, West Ham United, Leeds United and Newcastle United all said to have been keen in January, but Rovers were reluctant to lose their talisman in the middle of a promotion push, and their £15 million valuation proved to be a stumbling block.
