Blackburn pull plug on deal while MLS striker on flight - only to change mind

01 February 2024 , 16:18

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Duncan McGuire is heading to Blackburn Rovers (Image: Getty Images)

Duncan McGuire's transfer from Orlando City to Blackburn Rovers is back on after a late twist on deadline day.

McGuire, 22, is one of the most sought after United States internationals in Major League Soccer (MLS), having scored 15 goals in his debut season for Orlando. He made his first senior appearance for the USMNT in their 1-0 loss to Slovenia last month.

Blackburn agreed a £3.2million ($4m) transfer fee with Orlando to sign McGuire, only to withdraw their interest while the player was on a flight to England. That left Blackburn's Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday in pole position to sign the player.

But Blackburn have reignited their interest and are set to sign McGuire on a long-term contract ahead of Thursday's deadline at 11pm (UK time). Wednesday will now need to look elsewhere if they want to sign a striker to boost their survival hopes.

Wednesday are currently 23rd in the Championship, five points from safety. Blackburn are 18th in the table, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

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McGuire is an exciting talent after scoring 23 goals during his final college season with Creighton Bluejays. He was awarded the Hermann Trophy in 2022 for being the best player in college soccer. Previous winners include Brad Friedel and Claudio Reyna.

McGuire was praised for leading Orlando to the MLS play-offs last season. Unfortunately for Oscar Pareja's side, they were beaten by eventual champions Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semi-finals (overall quarter-finals).

McGuire is one of the most exciting talents in Major League Soccer (Getty Images)

"The goal is always to get eventually over to Europe and test my skills over there with some top-quality teams and players," said McGuire last October. That's the end goal, but as of right now I'm just focused on what's ahead of me and that's the playoffs."

McGuire also wants to be a key player for the USMNT. He added: "Playing for the national team, as that recently came up for the (Paris 2024) Olympic team, that's a big thing I want to get to and something I've wanted to do for a while. That's also in the sights."

McGuire would love to eventually play in the Premier League and follow in the footsteps of some legendary players. The likes of Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and Kasey Keller have all graced England's top flight.

The first American to ever play in the Premier League was John Harkes for Wednesday, one of the club's keen on signing McGuire. Yet the chances of the Owls playing in England's top flight anytime soon look slim, with relegation to League One on the cards.

Tom Blow