Rovers have signed a third goalkeeper of the transfer window by bringing in Middlesbrough’s Aynsley Pears on a permanent deal.

The 22-year-old has signed a four-year deal at Ewood Park and his signature ends Rovers’ long pursuit. He joins for an undisclosed fee.

Pears has been linked with Rovers throughout the window and adds another option to the goalkeeping department which has already seen Thomas Kaminski and Antonis Stergiakis arrive.

Pears has played 25 times for Boro, including against Rovers in February, but has been set to leave the Riverside after talks over a new deal went cold.

He was out of contract next summer, with Rovers making their move for Pears six weeks after seeing a bid turned down by the Championship club.

Pears, whose dad Stephen was a team-mate of Tony Mowbray’s during their playing days, will provide competition and back-up to Belgian Kaminski who has impressed since joining from AA Gent earlier in the window.

Stergiakis, aged 21, arrived on the international deadline day from Slavia Sofia with the Greece Under-21 international part of a healthy crop of young goalkeepers at the club which includes Andrew Fisher and Jordan Eastham as well as Joe Hilton, though he is currently out injured.