Rovers are closing in on the signing of Leicester City striker George Hirst.

Hirst is expected to sign a new long-term deal with the Foxes before joining Rovers on a season-long loan deal.

The loan move is understood to include the option to purchase the 23-year-old at the end of the loan spell.

Hirst’s Leicester deal is set to expire next summer, and while Rovers were keen on a permanent deal, the Foxes want to tie him to a new contract before loaning him out for a third time.

He has played once for Leicester’s Under-21s side in Premier League 2 this season, scoring twice in a 75-minute outing against West Ham United. His record at Premier League 2 level is impressive, with 15 goals and three assists in 22 appearances for the young Foxes.

He has had two separate loan spells away from the King Power, scoring 15 times and contributing three assists in 46 appearances during a season-long loan in League One with Portsmouth in 2021/22.

That followed a difficult time at Rotherham United where he failed to score in 32 appearances, but only four of those came from the start.

Hirst, son of former England striker David, has 13 caps and seven goals at Under-20s level for his country.

He came through the ranks at Sheffield Wednesday before turning down the offer of a new contract to join Belgian side OH Leuven. Hirst then made the move to Leicester City in 2019 where he has made two substitute appearances for the Foxes’ senior side, both in the Project Restart games of 2020.

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