Semir Telalovic is in talks to leave Blackburn Rovers, according to the Lancashire Telegraph, after a tough first season in English football.
The attacker joined Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach from FV Illertissen in 2022 after impressing from a young age. The 24-year-old would play just three times in Daniel Farke’s side but would impress for their youth teams.
Despite a lack of first-team experience, Blackburn Rovers would capture the striker in the summer of 2023. Rovers would pay a six-figure fee for his services in a bid to stay up in the 2023/24 season.
John Eustace managed to keep the side up but the German would play a limited role. An average of 22 minutes per game in all competitions with just 20 appearances altogether highlights this issue.
The Lancashire-based side instead opted for an attacking force of Sammie Szmodics, Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Gallagher. The trio’s performances, especially the former’s, were highlighted in their win 5-1 win away at Sunderland and led to the forward’s lack of time.
After netting a brace in Blackburn Rovers' 5-1 win over Sunderland on Monday, Sammie Szmodics has now scored 23 Championship goals this season! 🔥
Prior to this term, he had only scored 11 Championship goals in his entire career. 🤨
𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚! 👏#CCP | #Rovers pic.twitter.com/01M5kXDglN
— The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24) April 3, 2024
Some pundits also argued his restricted game time was a result of his inability to adapt to the English game.. The Football League is known for its physicality, which many young strikers can struggle to meet. This lack of consistency and threat led to his removal from the first team, and even finding minutes in the Premier League 2, where he scored five goals with two assists.
The Lancashire Telegraph understands that the striker has flown out for talks with an unknown European club over a potential move. Rovers’ head coach was unclear whether it would be a permanent or loan deal.
When talking to the news outlet, John Eustace stated:
“Semir is away, he has an opportunity to potentially leave the club,”
“He is talking to the club over the weekend and we will see how that progresses. I am not sure about all the finer details at the moment.”
Eustace is hopeful the club can bring in some quality to bolster the squad himself and wants to build on the players he already has in the building.
With a move away for Sammie Szmodics looking likely, a move for Telalovic would leave the Championship side desperate for a new attacker. Amid these links, the likes of Tom Cannon, Theo Blair and Will Evans have all been options to bolster the sides’ attack ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Writer’s View
Overall, this is the right option for both parties. The 24-year-old has clearly fallen out of favour with the manager and has struggled to perform in England. Perhaps a move away to another country and a new club could be important in rejuvenating his career.
As for Blackburn, they narrowly avoided relegation last season on the last day. If they want to avoid a similar fate the squad needs to be strengthened all around. Sammie Szmodics played a pivotal part in Eustace’s system as he won the Golden Boot, but with him potentially leaving, a new attacker would need to step up.
