The 23-year-old midfielder arrived from Portuguese side Moreirense for an undisclosed fee and signed a three-year deal at Ewood Park, which will keep him in East Lancashire until at least the summer of 2028.

A Portuguese youth international who has represented his nation at Under-18s and Under-19s level, the rangy midfielder came through at Leicester City, joining the Foxes’ academy in 2010 as a nine-year-old.

Progressing through the ranks in the East Midlands, Tavares came up against Rovers during his time representing City’s Under-21s side before making his bow in the first-team in March 2021 when he appeared as a second-half substitute in a Europa League tie against Slavia Prague, which was one of three senior outings he made during his stay at the King Power Stadium.

The midfield man left English shores for a return to his homeland with Portuguese giants Porto in the summer of 2021, but only featured for the club’s B team during his three years at the Estadio do Dragao.

A short loan spell in the United States with Colorado Rapids offered Tavares the opportunity for first-team football in 2023, with the new Rover totalling five games over his three months in America, before a permanent switch to Moreirense last summer kickstarted his career.

Sidnei featured regularly for the Primeira Liga club, totalling 29 games and scoring a solitary goal as The Green and Whites comfortably finished in mid-table in the Portuguese top flight.

Predominantly a defensive midfielder, Tavares will offer Valerien Ismael added versatility at Rovers due to also being deployed as a winger during his time at Leicester.