Ex-Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United & Sunderland man 'agrees deal' to join Championship rivals
A former Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United player is close to securing his next move
Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United’s Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers are ‘closing in’ on the signing of free agent defender Danny Batth, according to reports.
The 33-year-old left Norwich City at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, having signed a one-year deal back in September 2023. The Lancashire Telegraph reports that Blackburn have agreed a deal with the player, with a medical scheduled to complete the transfer. He had agreed a two-year deal with the club last summer before that move fell through.
The central defender came through the academy at Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers and went on to play 212 times for the club over a 10-year spell. He did have a number of loans during his time at Molineux. His first temporary move away came at Colchester United before he joined Sheffield United in 2010 but made just one appearance after only agreeing a one-month loan.
In March 2011, he joined the Owls on loan until the end of the 2011-12 campaign and returned on a six-month loan the following season with that extended for another six months midway through the campaign. He played 59 games for the Owls during his stints at Hillsborough, and has only made more appearances for Stoke City and Wolves. He played a key role as the Owls won promotion to the Championship as League One runners-up.
He left Wolves for Stoke in 2019 and then joined Sunderland in January 2022. After 18 months at the Stadium of Light, he left the club and signed for Norwich as a free agent. Batth had spent time training with Wolves this summer to keep his fitness up. Blackburn were locked in the Championship relegation battle with the Owls last season but like Danny Rohl’s side will be keen to keep themselves well away from the bottom three in the 2024-25 campaign.
They have also been linked with a move for former Leeds United captain Liam Cooper, who is a free agent after his contract with the Elland Road club expired at the end of the most recent campaign.