Blackburn Rovers are interested in bringing Newport County star Will Evans to Ewood Park, according to the Daily Mirror.
Evans, who is valued at around £200,000 according to Transfermakt, has been with the League Two club since 2022 and has played over 100 times for the Exiles. During his stay, he has scored 29 times and assisted a further seven. The Welshman was the top scorer at the club by some distance last season with 25 goals and four assists in all competitions.
The 26-year-old joined from Cymru Premiership side Bala Town, managing 34 goal involvements in 64 outings over two seasons.
It is this sort of form that has alerted Championship side Blackburn Rovers, as they look to add a goalscorer to improve on their 19th-placed finish last season.
Rovers are bracing themselves for bids for talisman Sammie Szmodics, who managed 33 goals in all competitions, and it could well be that Evans is the man to replace him in John Eustace’s squad.
With the Welshman out of contract next season, now could be the time to cash in or County risk losing him on a free transfer next summer. The Exiles also parted company with manager Graham Coughlan this week, and that could also prove to be a factor.
Speaking to the South Wales Argus, Evans admitted he doesn’t want to be a one-season wonder:
“It was a great season for me individually. The way the season ended did tarnish it slightly, but the off-season is a great time to look back and reflect on what I did from an individual point of view,”
“I’m really happy with how it went. I couldn’t have done it without my team-mates, but it was a really positive season for me individually.
“But that season has gone now, and we look ahead. As much as it’s nice to look back on, that almost fuels me now to try to replicate it this year.
“I’ve got to show I can do it again. I definitely don’t want to be seen as a one-season wonder.”
Writer’s View
With Szmodics widely expected to leave this summer and Evans’s goal-scoring form, this one isn’t a surprise. It’s the final opportunity for Newport to cash in on their top scorer with it looking unlikely he’d sign a new deal.
The Welsh outfit will be desperate to retain their main man but the 26-year-old will surely harbour ambitions of playing at a higher level. He will want to prove that he can score goals in a higher division. With Blackburn’s poor campaign behind them, they do need a different direction. If Rovers can meet their valuation then this would be a great deal for all parties involved.
