Blackpool will be looking to add Stoke City forward Niall Ennis to their ranks this summer - 12 months on from signing another striker based on a successful loan spell.

Opinion: Blackpool will be determined to bring some of their past loanees back to Bloomfield Road this summer - and shouldn’t be put off by past gambles not paying off.

Those who arrived on temporary deals last season were among the best in the squad, and it would only be a good thing if they did come back.

On the whole, the recruitment team did get it right, with the deals for Dom Ballard and Sammy Silvera being the only ones not to pay off - with mitigating factors existing for both.

Odel Offiah was the pick of the bunch, with the 22-year-old being superb throughout the campaign in various defensive positions. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that he’ll be back due to the levels he reached.

Harry Tyrer improved as the season went on in goal, while Elkan Baggott did well when he wasn’t struggling with injury. It’s not out of the question that either of those players could be back, but equally their respective parent clubs may have other plans for them to get the most out of their development.

The one loanee the Seasiders know for certain is available is Niall Ennis - with Stoke City looking to get the striker off their books.

Following his January move to the Fylde Coast, the 26-year-old found the back of the net seven times, and was a regular part of Steve Bruce’s starting XI.

Similarities with past flop

You can probably pick out some similarities between Ennis and Jordan Rhodes - who was signed permanently by Blackpool last summer following an impressive loan spell.

Both players arrived on the Fylde Coast having struggled in the years leading up to the move, with neither being part of their parent club’s plans.

Upon dropping down a division to join the Seasiders, the two players were able to rediscover their goal scoring touch, and became key to the respective teams they played in.

Rhodes found the back of the net 15 times during the first half of his season on loan at Bloomfield Road, and despite struggling with injury from Christmas onwards, was handed a permanent contract once his deal with Huddersfield Town had come to an end.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. His spells on the sidelines had clearly taken their toll, and he didn’t look like the same player.

Of course a change of manager didn’t help his cause, with a lack of game time under Bruce prompting a loan move out to Mansfield Town.

If you go back 12 months, everyone would’ve said it was a gamble worth taking, especially when you consider how popular he was off the field as well, but ultimately it was a failure for everyone involved.

Differences between Ennis and Rhodes

Getting Ennis back in Tangerine permanently could perhaps create the same headache of if he’d deliver in the same way as he did on loan, but the differences between the two players means Blackpool shouldn’t be put off taking the same gamble again.

The Stoke man is a much better age for starters, and is entering the prime of his career, not the latter stages.

Rhodes joined the Seasiders as a 34-year-old, while Ennis has only just turned 26.

Meanwhile, the former Sheffield Wednesday was very much reliant on the service of others and playing in a certain way, but that’s not the case for Blackpool’s current target either.

Although Ennis didn’t play with the same intensity or energy as someone like Kyle Joseph throughout the entirety of a match, he was able to burst into life at any point, whether that was making a driving run into the box or being in the right place at the right time.

Equally, there are some differences that would make this deal an even bigger, and potentially more costly gamble, than the signing of Rhodes 12 months ago.

Ennis is not a free agent, and a fee, as well as an attractive wage package, will need to be agreed.

The Seasiders are also not the only team said to be looking at him, with Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers also linked in the past month.

Any transfer is a gamble to an extent, but when the price could be driven up, it will be something every club involved will need to be cautious about.

Ultimately, if the right deal is on the table, Ennis is someone Blackpool should be doing their best to recruit. Having a proven League One goalscorer could prove to be priceless, and it’s also been seen that he can fit into what Bruce wants.

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