BLACKBURN Rovers are aiming to make South Korea star Kim Bo-Kyung their first signing of the summer.

The playmaker is a free agent after he opted against extending his short-term contract at Wigan Athletic.

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Kim has been tracked by a host of Championship clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and Reading.

But it is believed that Rovers, who are restricted to frees and loans under the terms of their Financial Fair Play embargo, are very much in the race.

The capture of Kim, who has won 32 caps for his country and was part of the South Korea squad which won bronze at the 2012 London Olympic Games, would be a boost for Gary Bowyer.

The Rovers boss has been looking to add more guile to his attack after Tom Cairney was sold to Fulham for a fee that could rise to £3.5m-£4m.

And, with the embargo limiting Bowyer to the number of established players he can have in his squad, the fact that Kim can play anywhere across the midfield, and up front, would also be a big draw.

The 25-year-old started his career with Japanese top-tier outfit Cerezo Osaka.

He moved to Cardiff City in July 2012, for a fee believed to be around £2.5m, and signed a three-year deal.

He scored his first goal for the Bluebirds in a 4-1 win at Rovers in December 2012.

The win sent Cardiff four points clear at the top of the Championship and it was a position they did not relinquish as they won promotion to the Premier League in April 2013.

Kim went on to make 28 appearances for the Bluebirds in their one and only season in the top flight.

He netted a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser in their 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United in November 2013.

But he played just five times for Cardiff last season and the final six months of his contract were terminated in January.

He joined Championship rivals Wigan in February on a deal until the end of the campaign.

Kim was unable to help the Latics stave off relegation into League One.

But, after two goals in 18 appearances, Wigan were keen to tie him down to a longer contract.

However they were unable to agree terms with his representatives.

Should Rovers do that, and should Kim pass a medical, they would also be required to obtain a work permit.

Kim, who was part of the 2010 and 2014 South Korea World Cup squads, would encounter some familiar faces at Ewood.

He was a team-mate of Craig Conway and Rudy Gestede at Cardiff.

Kim will also be known to Rovers’ head of player recruitment, Tommy Johnson, who used to work for the Bluebirds as chief scout.