Exclusive: Blackburn Rovers, Preston and Middlesbrough send scouts to watch Barnsley star
Blackburn Rovers, Preston and Middlesbrough all sent scouts to watch Barnsley striker Davis Keillor-Dunn against Liverpool on Monday night, sources have told Football Insider.
The League One forward’s future is up in the air in the remaining three weeks of the January transfer window.
The Championship trio are keeping close tabs on Keillor-Dunn as they weigh up moves for him this month.
Barnsley were beaten 4-1 away at Liverpool, a result which extended their recent winless run to five games in all competitions.
Keillor-Dunn led the line for 81 minutes at Anfield, but was unable to add to his tally of 14 goals and one assist in all competitions this season.
Davis Keillor-Dunn’s versatility to excite chasing clubs
Middlesbrough are pushing for promotion from the Championship this term, and they will be desperate to secure the necessary reinforcements to help get them over the line in the second half of the campaign.
Preston also find themselves potentially in the play-off picture, while Blackburn currently have very different ambitions in the lower reaches of the table.
The trio appear set to go head-to-head for Keillor-Dunn’s signature, in a move that could potentially see the 28-year-old go from League Two to the Championship in under three seasons.
The Sunderland-born attacker managed 25 goal contributions for Barnsley in his debut campaign for the Tykes last term, and he is on course to be one of the third tier’s top scorers once again.
Keillor-Dunn was nominated for League One’s Player of the Season award for his efforts in 2024-25, but it is not just his raw stats that make him an attractive proposition for the chasing pack.
The former Mansfield Town man is naturally an attacking midfielder by trade, but he has excelled as a striker for Barnsley of late, and can also operate on the left wing if needed, and that versatility will be hugely exciting for the interested parties.
Blackburn submit Triston Rowe offer
Football Insider revealed on Monday that Blackburn have made an offer for Aston Villa’s Tristan Rowe, who is currently on loan at French Ligue 2 side Annecy.
There is a break clause in that loan agreement which is set to become active imminently, and that has alerted Blackburn, although several other Championship clubs are also expected to react.
The defender is yet to make his senior debut for Aston Villa, who are keen to avoid a permanent sale, and would instead prefer another loan switch.
Rowe is an England U20 international and has already notched 14 appearances for Annecy this term, with two goal contributions in that time.