The promising start to Blackburn Rovers’ pre-season is likely to continue for the next few weeks, as Steve Kean looks to add more firepower to his squad. Last week, Danny Murphy confirmed his place at the club as well as taking the ‘lucky number’ 13 shirt, whilst top-scorer from last season Yakubu departed for Guangzhou R&F. Rovers may see more departures come the start of the season after a recent transfer request from Martin Olsson and an expected bid for Steve N’Zonzi from Sunderland. Junior Hoilett will also leave the club, after his contract expired at the start of this month.

So with these departures in the offing, who can Rovers fans expect to turn out for the side in the Championship next season?

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Leon Best

After failing to get Kelly Rowland and Akon to perform at Ewood Park, Venky’s have decided that Drake’s most famous lookalike is their next best bet. Nottingham born, Irish centre-forward Leon Best has just signed for Rovers and has taken the number 9 shirt which was worn last year by a player who in the loosest sense of the term can be called a ‘striker’, in Anthony Modeste. Fans of Blackburn can and will expect more from Best though. Modeste failed to score for the club, as well as getting sent off against West Brom.

25-year old Best has penned a four year deal and has moved from the north east from Newcastle, to the north west for a deal worth £3 million. His time at Newcastle saw him score 10 goals in 42 league games, including a hat-trick against West Ham in May 2011.

The position needed to be filled at Blackburn, and they’d be hard pressed to find a better player willing to drop down to the Championship in this current climate, but who has Steve Kean found to play upfront with him?

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Nuno Gomes

Yes, it’s our old friend Nuno Gomes.

Gomes yesterday added Blackburn Rovers to his list of clubs that includes Boavista, Benfica, Braga and Fiorentina. The Portuguese striker has scored for every club he has played for, and at every conceivable international level as well.

Luckily for Venky’s, he’s a free transfer so they will only have to shell out money for wages.

Last year he bagged five goals in 15 games for Braga, and Steve Kean will be hoping for the same kind of return from Gomes now that he has signed.

With Gomes and Best upfront, Kean will now need to add creativity to what could be a potent attacking duo.

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Fabio Nunes

Not to be confused with his fellow countryman, we next have Fabio Nunes.

The Portuguese under-20 midfielder has previously been on the books at Parma’s development team, as well as Portimonense.

If Nunes is to sign, he will put to good use Steve Kean’s understanding of the Portuguese language. Kean has previously signed from the Portuguese league before, when he snapped up Simon Vuckevic last season, but unfortunately Simon didn’t play very often for the club.

Let’s hope that this is not a pre-cursor for Rovers’ future exploits in the Primeira Liga…

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Adrien Silva

…As that’s where Kean has found the final of Rovers fab four.

French born, Portuguese midfielder Adrien Silva.  The player currently at Sporting CP has benefited from loan spells at Maccabi Haifa and Academica.

Silva is the least likely of all the players to join Rovers, but he is the hottest prospect of the bunch.

Who knows if any of these players where to sign (Best and Gomes excluded), but if as pointed out on Twitter yesterday morning if they all played for the side then Rovers would have an utterly baffling team.

Bunn, Dunn, Dann, Nuno Gomes, Fabio Nunes, Henley, Hanley, Hanley, as well as our favourite pair of twins – the Olssons.

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