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Blackburn Rovers are preparing for the new Championship campaign, with the club hopeful they can build on their late-season form from last year which saw them narrowly miss out on the play-offs.
Valerien Ismael has overseen a lot of change at Rovers this summer as Ewood Park have bid farewell to several of their ever-presents last season.
This has seen Callum Brittain join Middlesbrough while the club watched Tyrhys Dolan move for free to Espanyol.
While there will have been hopes that Blackburn could make a return to the Premier League, a division they have not been part of since 2012; however, this seems unlikely following the business the club has done over the summer.
There is one glaring issue for the club, that may change under Ismael, yet that seems unlikely following the business done in one area in particular.
Pressure placed on the shoulders of Igor Tyjon
There is a lot of promise around the teenage striker Igor Tyjon, who has been subject to interest from both Arsenal and Manchester United this summer as they believe he has a lot of potential.
This could have been a breakout year for Tyjon; however, there will be a need for him to perform immediately as the club have sold three of their five top goalscorers from last season.
It is expected that Makhtar Gueye will soon be leaving Blackburn Rovers, meaning that a fourth of their five top scorers from last season will have left the club within 12 months.
This means that Tyjon may have to step up and provide several goals this season to ensure Rovers are not dragged into a relegation battle, also hoping the club remain solid in defence.
Tyjon made two appearances last season, and while there is a hope he can hit the ground running there may be concern growing among fans at Blackburn ahead of their season due to the options they will have up front.
While there are recent revelations that they may be adding Koji Miyoshi as a right wing option, there is still a need to add goals to the team, with Yuki Ohashi the club’s top scorer last season, only grabbing 10 goals.
Ismael is a fan of Tyjon
Blackburn Rovers manager Valerien Ismael is a huge fan of Igor Tyjon, with the Frenchman hopeful of keeping the player at the club long-term despite Premier League interest.
Ismael understands the difficulty in convincing him to remain at Ewood Park, with a contract currently on offer to the striker and Tyjon set to be a first-team player this season.
Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Ismael said: “Igor is part of the first-team squad. We make a clear plan with him. He didn’t have that from the past.
“At the end of the last season, I sat with him and his parents and explained the way we want to work with him, to improve him. He will have the chance in the pre-season. So, this is now what’s happened.
“Now it’s up to him to show us that he’s ready. At least we see the quality that he can help us, and we go from there. We have a clear plan with him to train with the first-team.”