Fleetwood Town have been dealt a transfer blow as Championship side Blackburn Rovers have beaten them in the race to sign a departed Premier League goalkeeper on a free transfer.
Charlie Adam’s side currently have David Harrington, Jay Lynch and Stephen McMullan at their disposal, but were reportedly in the market to land a new goalkeeper to add to the mix although that will now no longer be the case.
That’s because Blackburn Rovers are now expected to complete a deal for the 22-year-old, who has been training with the Championship outfit in recent days and featured as an unused substitute during a recent pre-season friendly.
Barrett to Blackburn?
The player in question is former Everton goalkeeper Jack Barrett, who is reportedly set to join Championship side Blackburn Rovers instead of Fleetwood Town, ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
Barrett has made a handful of appearances at youth level for both Bradford City and Everton, but has recently returned to Goodison Park after his loan stint at Canadian side Cavalry FC came to an end.
After joining the club on loan in February, Barrett made just one first-team appearance in Canada which came during a 1-1 draw against HFX Wanderers in May.
Will a Championship move benefit Barrett’s career further?
Joining a club in the Championship will allow Barrett to work alongside a higher quality of goalkeepers, which will likely see him learn more lessons and be able to push himself against bigger opposition.
However, he is likely to suffer less game time by not moving to Fleetwood Town instead, which could be seen as a risk for his development due to his lack of first-team football.
On the other hand, Blackburn Rovers could opt to sign the 22-year-old and then loan him out so he can earn regular first-team football temporarily, though that is unconfirmed.