Imps Make Late Move on Deadline Day

City have sealed the signing of Blackburn Rovers’ striker Jack Vale on a season-long loan on deadline day.

Vale started his youth career at The New Saints in his home country before being spotted by Championship side Blackburn. In 2017, he signed his first professional contract with the Lancashire based club, before signing a longer term contract just over a year later. In his six years at Blackburn, he has made 25 first team appearances and has gone on a number of loan spell aways from the club to gain experience in men’s football.

His first loan spell was with Barrow – when they were in the National League – but he didn’t feature at all, with the outbreak of COVID-19 suspending football just days after he joined the club. Once he returned from Barrow, he made his professional debut for Blackburn in their first EFL Championship game of the 20/21 season against Reading. He came on as a substitute replacing Adam Armstrong in the 78th minute as Rovers went on to win the game 4-3.

In February 2021, Vale joined, then, League One side Rochdale until the end of the season, they ultimately suffered relegation as the versatile attacker made just three appearances. The following season, he joined National League side Halifax Town. He made his National League debut just two days after signing in a 3-1 defeat to Southend. It was a productive loan spell for the young attacker as he went on to score his first professional goal of his career against Kings Lynn.

He made 15 appearances last season in the Championship, making six starts, including the first game of the season against QPR. He was a regular member of Blackburn’s matchday squad in the first half of last season, before falling out of favour as they looked to earn Premier League promotion.

Jez George, City’s director of football, told the club’s official website: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured a player of Jack’s calibre at the end of the transfer window. 

“Jack is recovering from a hamstring injury so we will need to be patient, but we are signing him for the whole season not just September. 

“We know that we have a really good player who will add to our squad and create even greater competition for places at the top end of the pitch.”

Vale, who can operate across the front three, has already been linked with moves to League One sides this summer, including Derby County but City have won the race on deadline day. Mark Kennedy stated today that a deal would only be done if the right player came up, and it appears that player came up on the market and it was Vale.

He is currently recovering from an injury as Jez alluded to, so we’ll have to be patient but he’ll certainly add some great competition across our forward line over the course of the season. That wraps up the transfer window for the Imps, and although deadline day hasn’t been busy, the window itself has proved very successful and hopefully we can continue to do well both on and off the pitch this season.