Exclusive: Blackburn Rovers, Hull City and Preston register interest in Ismael Boura
Blackburn Rovers, Hull City and Preston North End are eyeing moves for Troyes defender Ismael Boura, sources have told Football Insider.
The Championship trio have registered their interest in the attacking left-back this month.
Boura has impressed for Troyes in Ligue 2 this season, chipping in with a goal and two assists from defence in 17 games to help them to the top of the table.
Preston and Hull are both pushing for promotion to the Premier League this term, and the duo both view Boura as a player who would add further quality to their squad.
Ismael Boura could be set for first experience outside France
The Championship promotion race is set to be typically chaotic in the second half of the season, and Boura could be about to be thrown in at the deep end if either Hull or Preston win the race for him this month.
Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston currently sit fourth in the table, while Sergej Jakirovic’s Hull are handily positioned just outside the top six, but with a potentially crucial game in hand to come against fellow contenders Watford.
If Boura does move to the EFL this winter, it will be his first experience of playing club football outside the French pyramid.
The 25-year-old came through the academy ranks at surprise Ligue 1 title contenders Lens, where he gained over 30 games of experience in the top flight before completing a switch to Troyes in 2023.
He has since become a key player for the second-tier table-toppers, and he has started in all but one of their 18 league games so far this term.
Boura is also an 11-cap Comoros international, and featured in all three of their games at AFCON in December.
Blackburn and Preston also going head-to-head for Davis Keillor-Dunn
Football Insider revealed on Tuesday morning that Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Preston all sent scouts to watch Davis Keillor-Dunn in Barnsley’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool on Monday.
The forward’s future is uncertain in the final three weeks of the January window, and the trio of Championship sides are keeping close tabs on his progress with a view to potentially making a move.
Keillor-Dunn has been in fine form for Barnsley this season with 11 goals to his name so far, a tally which is only bettered by three other League One players.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise from League Two in recent years, and Blackburn and Preston are set to battle it out once again to provide him with an opportunity in the Championship.