Benjani Mwariwari

Blackburn Rovers look set to hand Benjani a new deal after the striker impressed manager Steve Kean during his spell at the club.

The 32-year-old signed a one-year deal at Ewood Park at the start of the season yet failed to feature in enough games to trigger a clause containing a second year.

Yet, despite his bit-part status at the club this term, the Zimbabwean could see his future at Rovers handed a lifeline by Kean.

The manager is keen to bolster his forward line in the summer, with the club actively searching for two new strikers on top of a possible opening for the former Portsmouth and Manchester City man.

“We are hopeful that we can put something together for Benjani,” Kean told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“It will probably come on the FA website that he is a free transfer but we want him here. We haven’t gone into detail with Benji but I said to him I would like to put something towards him and that will hopefully be done in the next couple of days.

“He has done really well for us. The type of lad he is, he is happy to have a role as an impact player as a substitute or if he is in good form and has a run in the team, then I think he has shown he is a guy defenders don’t want to play against.

“He certainly had a strong end to the season.”