Derby County and Blackpool are fighting for the signature of Blackburn Rovers forward Jack Vale, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider.
The 22-year-old has been told that he can go out on loan for the forthcoming season, with a move to League One looking the likeliest landing spot.
Vale, who has been with Rovers for the last six years, made 22 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring twice as well as supplying an assist. He enjoyed a starting role in the first team in January, before suffering an ankle injury for Blackburn’s under-21 side which would keep the youngster sidelined for the rest of the season.
The Welshman’s contract was due to run out this summer, but the forward was handed a two year extension by manager Jon Dahl Tomasson which will keep him at Ewood Park until 2025. It does however seem that a loan move for the first season of that extension is likely.
Who is Jack Vale?
Starting his youth career with Cymru Premier side The New Saints, Vale would make the switch to English football when joining Blackburn Rovers in 2017. Vale has had three loan spells away from Ewood Park during his career, but has only made a handful of appearances. His first loan spell was to then-National League Barrow, who he wouldn’t make a single appearance for due to the suspension of the league as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The next season, after making a few appearances for Blackburn’s first team, he would join Rochdale for the second half of the year. The forward made just three appearances for the Dale as they were relegated from League One. He would then drop down to the National League with FC Halifax Town where he enjoyed his most consistent spell of his career during the 2021/22 season before spending the entirety of last season at Ewood Park.
Vale has been capped at all levels up to the under-21s for the Welsh National side and is held in a high regard. However we’ve really not seen much of the 22-year-old in the senior ranks, and the forthcoming season could really be a make or break year for Vale. He will no doubt be putting in extra work in pre-season with that in mind.
Who is interested in Vale?
Two League One clubs have emerged as front runners to take the youngster on loan this season. Those being newcomers Blackpool and one of the favourites for promotion, Derby County. For both, Vale would largely be used in their forward rotation and it is unknown whether he’d be able to hold down a starting spot. Blackpool have kept the majority of their attacking contingent from last season but there is still space for Vale, who can play both on the wing or through the middle. It would however be hard for him to replace star player Jerry Yates at centre-forward. As for Derby County, their attack is somewhat limited currently, especially after losing striker David McGoldrick to Notts County. They’d potentially be the better suitor for Vale, and he could see more minutes with the Rams.
Writer’s view
Signing Vale on loan is somewhat of a punt given the limited amount of minutes he’s had in senior football, but last year at Blackburn was perhaps his best to date. He’d be expected to come on from that experience in the first team last season, and could pop up with a few goals in League One next year. Signing a new contract at Ewood Park has given him a safety net to fall back on but this will be an important season for the 22-year-old to show his potential.
