As a highly rated player and someone Tony Mowbray hoped to keep at Ewood Park, a new deal was offered to Connor Mahoney but the forward isn’t accepting this so will leave Blackburn as a free agent – earning a compensation fee.
Linked with various clubs including Barnsley and Sunderland, Mahoney has most recently reportedly been interesting Wolves and Scottish giants Celtic but Mowbray expects him to join Nottingham Forest.
Blackburn’s boss is resigned to losing Mahoney and an extended stay in the Championship is anticipated at Mark Warburton’s side, as our friends at Vital Nottingham Forest inform us:
Nottingham Forest look set to complete the signing of Blackburn winger Connor Mahoney, who has also been linked with rival Wolves and Scottish Premiership champions, treble winners, Celtic.
According to Tony Mowbray, Forest will win the battle to sign Mahoney, 20, and the Blackburn boss has backed him to become a star. Well, he at least said he hoped he could along with saying he expects him to come to the City Ground.
Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire: ‘Let’s hope he plays a lot of football and becomes a star and helps Forest get to the Premier League. That’s where I hear the rumours might be, but let’s wait and see.’
Out-of-contract at Blackburn, Mahoney turned down the offer of a new deal at Ewood Park so he will leave the League One side, who were narrowly relegated ahead of Forest, as a free agent.
However, owing to the fact Mahoney was offered a new contract, Forest will have to pay Blackburn a fee because the Rovers forward is under the age of 24, the criteria needed for training compensation.
Yet to be officially confirmed, if his current Blackburn boss expects Mahoney to join Forest there’s got to be a pretty good chance this will become official in the not too distance future as Mark Warburton adds to the Reds squad.
Used courtesy of Vital Nottingham Forest.
Mahoney certainly seems to have Championship potential, if not Premier League. He would have been afforded plenty of first team opportunities at Ewood next season but a stint in League One obviously doesn’t appeal to him.
Best of luck to him and all being well, from his point of view, wherever Mahoney does end up doesn’t result in his progress being held back – then again this wouldn’t be a concern for Blackburn once he moves on, unless any deal could involve potential future earnings from a sell-on clause(s)?
