Birmingham City look as though they are already starting to make plans for the summer transfer window.
According to a recent report from journalist Alan Nixon, Blues are keen to sign goalkeeper Aynsley Pears when the market reopens.
The 25-year-old is currently on the books of the club’s Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers.
That is one of the reasons why these links with a move to St Andrew’s for the goalkeeper, are unlikely to be all that surprising.
Aynsley Pears an obvious target for Birmingham City
Going into the summer transfer window, the goalkeeping position is one that will need to be addressed at St Andrew’s.
Both senior Birmingham City goalkeepers, John Ruddy and Neil Etheridge, will be out of contract at the end of this season. That has led to some discussion about which of those two will remain at St Andrew’s for next season.
A new option between the posts is therefore likely to be needed at that point. Blues boss Tony Mowbray is a manager who has plenty of form, when it comes to signing player he has previously worked with.
Given he was the one who signed Pears for Blackburn Rovers – and played with his dad at Middlesbrough – that does make him an appealing target.
Indeed, at 25 years old, he is also a longer-term option for Birmingham City, than the considerably older Ruddy and Etheridge.
But despite all that, it is hard to imagine Blues be successful with any attempts they make to sign Pears come the summer.
No need for Aynsley Pears to be sold
Having joined Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2020, Pears initially struggled to establish himself at Ewood Park.
The departure of Thomas Kaminski last summer finally gave him the chance to make himself the club’s first choice.
That was put on hold though, after he suffered a foot injury in October. Pears returned to action in January, and has since looked like a man transformed.
He has enjoyed his best spell as a Blackburn Rovers in the weeks since his return. That came to a head in Tuesday night’s FA Cup fifth round clash with Newcastle United.
Although the Premier League side would eventually go through on penalties, Pears produced a sensational performance in that game.
He commanded his area brilliantly all night, and made some excellent saves as well. That included a stunning double stop in extra time to take the game to penalties, where he then denied Harvey Barnes in the shootout.
That performance has gone to show just how important Pears now looks set to be to Blackburn Rovers, under a familiar manager to Birmingham City, in the form of John Eustace.
As a result, it is hard to imagine the Ewood Park club will want to let Pears go anytime soon.
Given he recently signed a contract until the summer of 2027, there is no pressure on the club to sell him either.
It should also be noted that Blackburn Rovers did not spend any of the funds they received from the club record sale of Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace in the January window. That means they should not need to sell Pears to raise money either.
Such a situation is further enhanced by the fact the funds they are due from a sell-on clause from fellow goalkeeper David Raya’s move to Brentford should finally drop when he joins Arsenal this summer. That too, will boost the financial situation at Ewood Park.
As a result, there is surely little need or want for Blackburn Rovers to let Pears move, not least to a Championship rival such as Birmingham City.
Indeed, after a performance such as that on Tuesday – which earned him a 9/10 rating in the Lancashire Telegraph – was shown to a mass audience, Pears could soon attract even more illustrious suitors.
Should that be the case, it would only become even harder for Blues to make this signing.
With that in mind, any hope Mowbray has of reuniting with Pears at Birmingham City, may be over before it has even really begun.