Big Sam has finally got busy and sealed two deals overnight to boost the Blackburn Rovers forward line.
Firstly, it was reported that last night that Allardyce has a agreed a deal for Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic. The 21-year-old is said to be on the verge of signing from Hajduk Split for a fee of around £6 million, subject to a work permit. Confirmation of the deal is expected this morning.
Blackburn have confirmed that they’ve agreed a loan deal for Chelsea’s teenage Argentinian striker, Franco Di Santo. He arrives at Ewood until the January window, when Rovers will have the opportunity to extend the deal until the end o the season should he still be surplus to requirements at the Bridge.
The arrival of Di Santo and Kalinic will certainly shake things up in the Rovers forward line, with both McCarthy and Roberts now facing severe competition for starting roles. These developments will come as a bitter blow to Roberts in particular. He has served Rovers well and has enjoyed a decent pre-season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him leaving Ewood in the next week or so which might well bring him back onto our radars. Right now however, none of the Rovers forward line look free of risk when it comes to fantasy selection…
Indeed, it’s difficult to say just how much value both Di Santo and Kalinic will present to fantasy managers. The Chelsea man is priced in the budget bracket across the games but is so unproven at this level, he would still represent a gamble – even compared to the likes of Wolves’ Ebanks-Blake in the same price range who is almost certain to earn 32+ starts, barring injury.
The fact that Blackburn are set to miss gameweek 2 due to Fulham’s Europa Cup comittments, perhaps gives us time to assess how Big Sam will juggle his resources, before making a decision on either of his new signings. Kalinic could well be a more attractive proposition given his reputation – although he is even less experienced in English football. We’ll be examing his credentials in more detail and bringing you a Scout Report on the Croatian very soon.

