Blackburn Rovers striker Sam Gallagher is undergoing a medical at Stoke City ahead of making a move to the fellow Championship side, TEAMtalk understands.
The forward began his career at Southampton after spending time in Plymouth Argyle’s academy, but he struggled to make an impact at the Saints.
After making his first-team debut for the Hampshire outfit in the 2013/14 Premier League season, he played just 26 times over the next six years.
Loan spells at Milton Keynes Dons, Blackburn, and Birmingham City followed, all with moderate success, before Rovers took a punt on him and signed him on a four-year contract in 2019.
Since arriving at Ewood Park permanently, the 6ft 4in attacker has scored 37 goals in 188 appearances in all competitions – but he hasn’t been able to hit the heights he achieved during his loan, where he bagged 12 goals in the 2016/17 campaign.
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However, it is widely known that Blackburn’s owners, the Venky’s, have struggled financially and are seeking to balance the books, partly through player sales.
With Gallagher in the last year of his Rovers contract, although he does have an option to extend that by a further 12 months, the Championship outfit are prepared to cash in on the 28-year-old.
Rovers striker heading for Stoke switch
Now, TEAMtalk can reveal Stoke have agreed a fee worth up to £1.5m with Blackburn for Gallagher after initially seeing their opening two offers for the player rejected last week.
Potters boss Steven Schumacher has been chasing a new striker all summer after seeing the likes of Tyrese Campbell and Wesley both leave the bet365 Stadium since the end of last season.
Gallagher has emerged as one of Stoke’s top target to bolster their attacking options and the deal is expected to be sealed in the next day or two.
The former England Under-20 international was a target for Ipswich Town during the January transfer window, but Blackburn rejected several offers for the forward.
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Gallagher played a crucial role in helping Blackburn secure survival in the Championship with a number of impressive performances in the final weeks of the season.
The former Southampton man made 27 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn last season, scoring five goals and providing six assists.
The Potters, who still want to sign another forward, have already added Eric-Junior Bocat, Viktor Johansson, and Ben Gibson to the first-team squad over the summer and Gallagher is set to become the fourth new arrival.
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