- Blackburn Rovers embraced the Nordic transfer trend with signings like Tronstad and Sigurdsson in 2023.
- The future of winger Arnor Sigurdsson is uncertain for Blackburn as his contract ends soon.
- Sigurdsson showed flashes of promise but struggled with consistency and injuries, leaving Rovers with decisions to make.
The transfers that Blackburn Rovers made during the summer transfer window of 2023 had a hint of Nordic flavour.
Jon Dahl Tomasson, a Danish manager of the first team, was in charge of the team at the time. He had come to Ewood Park from Swedish team Malmo.
Meanwhile, the team had a director of football in Gregg Broughton who had previously worked with Norwegian teams like Bodo/Glimt.
That would be evident in their window transactions, as Rovers signed Swedish custodian Leo Wahlstedt, who played for Odd in Norway, and Norwegian midfielder Sondre Tronstad.
Arnor Sigurdsson was another player to connect with Blackburn who had ties to that area during that summer window.
Rovers swooped for Iceland winger
After once more pausing his contract with CSKA Moscow, Sigurdsson—one of the club’s early window acquisitions—moved to Ewood Park in June 2023.
Blackburn signed the winger by taking advantage of FIFA regulations permitting players based in Russia to do so.
Before then, Sigurdsson had played a similar role for Norrkoping during the previous season in Sweden.
Rovers moved to permanently sign the Icelandic international in December 2023, as his contract with CSKA was set to expire in the summer of 2024.
On the other hand, one could argue that puts Blackburn in a difficult situation going forward with Sigurdsson this summer.
Blackburn may have a decision to make on Arnor Sigurdsson
The winger was signed by the Ewood Park team to a permanent contract, but that agreement is set to expire at the end of this current campaign.
This implies that they may only have this summer to profit from the winger, and they may have to decide whether to do so or not.
Blackburn has a lot to think about because there appears to be a limited amount of money available to invest in the market, so losing the opportunity to profit from an investment would be devastating.
Ultimately, Sigurdsson’s first season at Ewood Park was rather uneventful. He was, on the one hand, the second-highest scorer for the team, surpassed only by Sammie Szmodics.
Even so, the Icelandic goal scorer only managed seven goals in 34 appearances across all competitions.
While Sigurdsson’s performances for Blackburn certainly showed signs of promise, they were, to be honest, not a constant sight.
Rather, there was frequently a feeling that the 25-year-old at Ewood Park had more to offer. The winger frequently appeared to land in advantageous positions but failed to capitalise on them.
His frustrations with injuries may not have helped either, as the winger’s Championship debut did not come until late September.
After the March international break, he would likewise not play because of an injury he sustained while travelling with Iceland.
Thus, Blackburn needs to make a decision regarding whether they think they can maximise Sigurdsson’s form and fitness for the remainder of the current campaign.
But given the uncertainty surrounding Szmodics’ future, it would undoubtedly be a big aid to John Eustace’s side if they could pull that off.
However, given his contract situation, they might be in danger of losing him for nothing the following summer, just as he could start to shine and prove to be a valuable asset to the team.
However, Rovers may feel that their opportunity to acquire Sigurdsson has passed if, by the time his contract expires next summer, he is unable to build on the success he had in the 2023–24 campaign.
They will then have to choose whether to cut their losses by letting the winger go when that deal expires or to stick with him by offering him a new one.
In any case, it appears that Blackburn Rovers have a lot to think about when it comes to Sigurdsson’s future, and all of those factors could present challenges in the future.
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