Crystal Palace transfer decision will come as blow to Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool
Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool’s pursuit of Scott Banks has reached a decisive moment
HIGHLIGHTS
- Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool have missed out on signing Scott Banks, with the Crystal Palace youngster set for a move to the
- Bundesliga in Germany.
- St. Pauli, the club in the
- Bundesliga, has agreed to a deal with Palace for Banks and he is currently in Hamburg for talks to complete the move.
- Banks, an attacking midfielder, had attracted interest from both Blackburn and Blackpool, but he has opted for a surprise switch to German football instead.
Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool are both set to miss out on the signing of Scott Banks.
According to Alan Nixon, the Crystal Palace youngster is instead set for a move to the 2. Bundesliga.
The Premier League side have agreed a deal with St. Pauli, with Banks on his way to Hamburg for talks to complete the move.
The attacking midfielder was the subject of intense transfer speculation in recent weeks, with Blackpool first showing an interest in Banks.
But the Scot is making the switch from English football to German, in a surprise twist to this transfer saga.
What is the latest situation involving Blackburn Rovers’ interest in Scott Banks?
Blackpool had initially agreed a £500,000 deal with Palace for the 21-year-old, but that move had looked to be hijacked by Rovers last week.
Jon Dahl Tomasson was keen to add the playmaker to his ranks before the summer deadline closes on 1 September.
An enquiry was made by the Lancashire club, with a view to a potential loan deal for the player.
However, the Championship side now appear to have missed out on the surprise transfer target.
St. Pauli came fifth in the table last year, but were unable to secure promotion to the German top flight.
They will be aiming to make their way back into the Bundesliga this season, with the addition of Banks a signal of their intent.
Meanwhile, Blackburn have already added Leopold Wahlstedt, Sondre Tronstad, Niall Ennis and Arnór Sigurdsson to their squad this summer in a bid to improve on their seventh place finish last year.
Who is Scott Banks?
Banks is an attacking midfielder that has come through the ranks at Dundee United.
The 21-year-old made the switch to Palace when he was still a teenager, in the 2020 January transfer window on a three-year deal.
The Scot has not made an appearance for the London club’s first team squad, but has enjoyed three separate loan stints.
He has featured for Alloa Athletic, Dunfermline Athletic and Bradford City over the years.
Banks contributed six goals and three assists during his time in League Two last season, appearing 29 times for Mark Hughes’ side as they earned a sixth place finish.
The midfielder will be hoping that the switch to St. Pauli will prove yet another step up in his career, as he seeks greater game time by making the decision to leave Palace this summer.
How big of a blow is it to Blackburn to miss out on the signing of Scott Banks?
Banks looks like a promising figure and could have been a useful option to have in the squad at Ewood Park.
Similarly, Blackpool have missed out on a player that looked more than capable of competing to a high standard in League One.
That the Seasiders seemingly agreed a deal with Palace will also come as a blow, as they will feel they should’ve completed the move.
But the opportunity to improve his game in Germany has proven alluring, and it could yet prove a very smart next step to take in his career.
