Rotherham United forward Sam Nombe is attracting attention from the Championship, following the Millers’ relegation to League Two.
The South Yorkshire side are consigned to losing one of their rare bright sparks in a dismal campaign, in which they dropped into the fourth tier for the first time since 2013.
Consistent Rotherham Performer
Throughout plenty of squad overhaul at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, the 27-year-old has remained a constant throughout. Even his best efforts couldn’t stop the Millers from falling down a division, despite scoring 12 league goals in just 31 appearances. Most of the damage was done earlier in the season in his absence, when Rotherham lost seven straight League One matches.
However, inbetween two spells on the sidelines, Nombe did all he could to try and arrest that run of form, scoring in successive defeats either side of Christmas against Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers. He led his side to victories over Port Vale and Leyton Orient (twice), while single-handedly giving the Millers a two-goal advantage in March when they welcomed Bolton to South Yorkshire.
The Croydon-born forward has hit successive double-figure hauls while at Rotherham, but only netted three times when the Millers were a second-tier outfit. He also failed to bag during a loan spell at Luton Town at the same level at the start of the decade, but he has always impressed in the third tier, scoring 15 times for Exeter City to earn a club-record move to his current side.
Which Clubs Are Interested?
The Reading Chronicle have reported that Reading are another team interested in the Millers’ forward. However, the prospects of a League One side securing his services feels unlikely given that teams higher up the pyramid are set to make their moves when the transfer window opens. They also report that Wycombe Wanderers and Bolton are two other third-tier sides linked with the 27-year-old, with Bolton still embroiled in the play-offs for the right to play Championship football next season.
The Trotters travel to Bradford City tomorrow evening with a slender goal advantage from their home leg last weekend. Steven Schumacher’s side will need to add firepower to their attack next term, regardless of what division they are in, but that requirement will be amplified if Wanderers return to the second tier of English football.
Nombe will command a fee after signing a four-year deal at Rotherham in 2023. However, with just a year remaining on that contract, and given Rotherham’s position in the bottom tier of English professional football, it perhaps won’t be in the region that his services should command. That will allow the interested parties to try and snatch a potential bargain this summer.
