Blackburn Rovers transfer latest as club step up their search

Brittain has arrived on a four-year deal from Barnsley, and while the fee is undisclosed, the overall package, with add-ons, is understood to be in excess of £1m.

The 24-year-old will fill the void of Ryan Nyambe who joined Wigan Athletic on a free transfer.

And that could become a theme of the transfer window.

Tomasson hasn’t gone into detail about Rovers’ transfer plans, pointing out that as the head coach his job is to work with the players at his disposal, with the recruitment drive being led by director of football Gregg Broughton.

Brittain was a player that Rovers targeted in January, Barnsley knocking back their advances, though their relegation to League One saw a follow-up offer this summer accepted.

That was common practice when Tony Mowbray was at the club, Rovers returning for long-term targets, with Amari’i Bell, Joe Rothwell, Sam Gallagher and Ryan Hedges among the players to have been targeted during previous windows before being signed.

Broughton was keen to point out the excellent work that head of recruitment John Park did prior to his departure at the end of his contract last month, and the signing of Brittain is testament to Rovers’ planning prior to the Broughton-Tomasson era.

As for Rovers’ search for a head of recruitment, interviews with three candidates were understood to have been held earlier this month.

Gus Williams, who has left his post as National Talent Identification Manager with the Wales Football Association, is understood to be the identified candidate. However, he might not take up his post until next month, which could push back any announcement.

Broughton stated that Rovers had a ‘healthy budget’ to work with this summer, and weren’t reliant on the sale of star man Ben Brereton to kickstart their recruitment drive.

A month on, that is beginning to ring true, with Brittain through the door, and more set to follow.

A deal for a central midfielder is understood to be in the works, and progressing well, with the hope of at least one more deal done before the start of next weekend's opening Championship game with QPR.

As well as Brittain, Rovers also made a move for Barnsley team-mate Callum Styles in January, with a bid in the region of £1.5m having been tabled, but turned down.

Styles’ future has come under increasing speculation, and he hasn’t featured in pre-season for Barnsley having been given extra time off due to his international commitments with Hungary, who he qualifies for through his grandmother, and then being absent due to illness.

The 22-year-old is a player that Rovers are understood to be tracking again, though there is said to be interest from across Europe in his signature, which would be expensive, but he is said to be keen on a move away from Oakwell. 

Styles played on the opposite flank to Brittain during Barnsley’s run to the Championship play-offs in 2021, but has since operated in midfield, a position that is seen as a primary target for Tomasson.

Oxford United midfielder Cameron Brannagan is another player said to be on Rovers’ radar, though the 26-year-old has continued to attract Championship interest without the League One side doing business. QPR are thought to be keen on the former Liverpool youngster.

Rovers will continue to work within their self-imposed wage structure, though money for transfer fees is available.

Rovers had spent around £2m across the last five transfer windows before this summer, but are expected to exceed that in this window with the players being targeted.

They bid in excess of £3m for Malmo central defender Anel Ahmedhodžić, although he opted for a move to Sheffield United.

Malmo forward Veljko Birmancevic is likely to prove out of Rovers’ price-range however, and talk of a move for Jo Inge Berget has gone cold for now. Indeed, any moves for Scandinavian targets which had been hot earlier in the window, seem to have died down, with Rovers’ attentions appearing to be focused on the domestic market.

While Tomasson refused to put a number on the preferred number of players he would want, he did indicate that at the very least he would like to replace the five key players that left in the summer. 

Championship experience also seems high on the head coach's wishlist.

Four of Rovers’ top 10 appearance makers from last season have moved on, Darragh Lenihan joining Middlesbrough, Joe Rothwell moving to Bournemouth while Wigan Athletic snapped up Ryan Nyambe. Player of the year Jan Paul van Hecke returned to Brighton, as did Reda Khadra, who was 13 on the most number of minutes played.

Van Hecke has featured regularly for Brighton in pre-season, but Graham Potter hasn’t ruled out a loan move later in the window, while Khadra is said to be close to joining Sheffield United.

As for Nyambe, Rovers had offered him a three-year deal with a sizeable uplift in wages.

Prior to that offer, Nyambe last signed a contract in 2019, which in effect was only a one-year extension to his previous deal, but did contain a one-year option which was triggered last summer.

This summer, his representatives were keen to explore the opportunities available as a free agent, though throughout his time at Rovers, Stoke City were the only club to have tabled a bid for him, and the level of interested expectedly is unlikely to have emerged.

When his representatives returned to the negotiating table in April, talks continued, but it is understood that Rovers were keen to draw a line under the situation upon the appointment of Tomasson, and the offer taken off the table.

Nyambe has now signed for Wigan on a one-year deal, though that is thought to include appearance-based clauses and bonuses, which fitness permitting, he should achieve.

It seems at the very least that Tomasson would like to replace the positions those departing five players had vacated, which would ring true with the understanding from earlier in the window that up to six new faces would be targeted.

With Brittain seen as the replacement for Nyambe, it will likely leave Rovers searching for two central defenders, a midfielder and an attacker.

Peterborough United’s Sammie Szmodics is a target for the forward role. The versatile 26-year-old hit seven goals last season in the Championship for relegated Posh, including against Rovers in April.

He also managed 16 in their League One promotion season of 2020/21.

The Lancashire Telegraph has learned that Rovers tabled a bid last week, though Posh director of football Barry Fry says three bids in all, above the £1m mark, have been rejected.

It is unclear at this stage as to whether Rovers will up their offer, or walk away from any potential deal.

While there is the potential of one, possibly two, more additions before the start of the Championship season, Rovers do have until September 1 to complete their business, but by then, 21 points will have been contested.

There is also the uncertainty over the future of Ben Brereton, though West Ham United, one of those understood to be monitoring his situation, appear to be taking their interest elsewhere for now, with no club close to getting to Rovers’ asking price.

That could yet see Rovers enter the market for a striker, having not done so when selling Adam Armstrong to Southampton 12 months ago, even if the forward options have been boosted by the emergence of Jack Vale who has impressed in pre-season.

Elsewhere, nothing has come of Granada’s interest in Rovers central defender Daniel Ayala, who looks set to be a big part of Rovers’ plans for 2022/23.

While Rovers are now without 12 of the 32 players used last season, there is the expectation that Academy prospects will take up the roles of some of those who have left, reducing the number of additions targeted.

Bradley Johnson and Jacob Davenport have left gaps in central midfield, but Jake Garrett and Adam Wharton have both impressed Tomasson in pre-season and will likely step into that breach.

Equally, central defenders Ash Phillips and Sam Barnes have caught the eye, while Hayden Carter, Dilan Markanday, Ryan Hedges, Bradley Dack and Jack Vale will all be aiming for more involvement in 2022/23.

So while Rovers have seen a number of players leave, the expected arrivals will allow for players to move out, expected to be on loan.

James Brown is one player earmarked for a loan move, while two former clubs of Tyler Magloire, Northampton Town and Hartlepool United, have been linked with the central defender.

Dan Butterworth, who finished last season with Fleetwood Town, has played only a handful of minutes in pre-season and the club would likely sanction a loan move.

Rovers round-off their pre-season friendlies with a trip to Lincoln City on Saturday.

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