Blackburn Rovers will be looking to bring in some additional quality to their squad over the summer in order to kick-on and finally reach a play-off place in the Championship.
With this in mind, Valerien Ismael has reportedly been interested in bringing Stockport County defender Ethan Pye to Ewood Park. Rovers are rumoured to have made an inquiry for the 22 year old but yet to submit a bid for the defender.
Who is Ethan Pye?
Pye started his career in non-league with local Manchester side, Hyde United. After a brief spell in Rochdale’s youth set up and a trial at Stoke City he joined Stockport in 2021.
The defender made his debut for the Hatters in October 2021 but was loaned to Spennymoor Town in the National League North for the second half of the season. His parent club won promotion to the EFL that season which led to Pye being loaned out to Gateshead for the 2022-23 season.
After two successful loan spells, the 22 year old has gone on to cement his place in the Stockport line-up. He has gone on to make 94 appearances for the Manchester side, to date, and helped them secure the League Two title and a third place finish in League One last season.
After a number of impressive seasons, Pye is likely to be drawing attention from clubs further up the pyramid. Blackburn Rovers are reportedly one of these clubs with their Venky owners keen to back current manager Ismael to build a squad capable of competing at the top of the Championship.
What could Ethan Pye bring to Blackburn Rovers?
One key attribute of Pye that could be of use to Rovers in the Championship is his versatility. The 22 year old previously played at left-back during his spell at Gateshead and has since been used as a centre back at Stockport, in formations containing a back three and two.
The defender’s ability to read the game and intercept opposition attacks is one of the key components of his game. Last season for the Hatters, Pye won an average of 1.19 tackles and 7.34 duels per 90 minutes.
He managed to have a tackle and duel success rate of 61.7% and 64.7% respectively. His ability to stop opposition attacks is displayed further by the fact that he completed 1.33 interceptions and won 3.5 ball recoveries per 90 minutes on average as well.
Another skill of Pye’s that Blackburn Rovers could utilise is his aerial ability. Helped by his 6ft figure, the 22 year old won on average 3.86 aerial duels per 90 minutes and won 83% more aerial duels when compared to players in League One in similar positions according to fotmob’s player traits statistics.
Would Ethan Pye be a good signing for Blackburn Rovers?
Pye’s current manager, Dave Challinor, emphasised his ability to develop and improve as player when the defender signed a new contract last summer:
“We all recognise his potential to improve, and although we don’t want it to be the case, we need to have players that have the possibility to achieve their own personal potential quicker than we do as a club, and Ethan could fit that category”.
Signing Pye could provide a good piece of business for Blackburn Rovers. Ismael’s side have seen Danny Baath, who made 41 appearances last season, leave Ewood Park this summer.
On top of this, the Lancashire side have reportedly been priced out of a move for Legia Warsaw defender Steve Kapuadi. With these transfer impacts in mind, Ismael’s side will likely need to sign someone such as Pye to ensure they are not left short in defence heading into the new season.
The Stockport defender’s ability to continuously improve and challenge himself at a higher level is a significant reason why this would be a good investment for Blackburn Rovers. Over the last four seasons, Pye has stepped up through the pyramid each time starting with the National League North in 2021-22.
His aerial ability could provide an attacking threat for Rovers as they look to improve on their eight set piece goals scored last season, which was the worst in the Championship. The reports suggest that Ismael’s side are being asked for £3 million to sign the 22 year old.
Despite the reported asking price from Stockport being above Blackburn’s valuation of the defender, it seems like it would be a sensible investment from the Championship club. At the age of 22 and the progression that Pye has shown over the last few seasons, it could be that securing his signature provides their defence with additional quality but also provide the club with a player who could become a sellable asset in the future.