2025 Summer Transfer Thread. 😂

[B16Rover]

11 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

2 names to write off then.

Arguably 3

[B16Rover]

Out of left field this one, but for the joy of transfer window gossip I had a WhatsApp about Alvero from werder bremer being a loan option 

[Fraserkirky]

5 hours ago, B16Rover said:

Out of left field this one, but for the joy of transfer window gossip I had a WhatsApp about Alvero from werder bremer being a loan option 

All 6”8 of him…N’Zonzi eat your heart out 

Jade Jones would be decent, can he play Right Wing?

[KentExile]

More of a recap than a story, but confirmation that its all about increasing value (selling players) rather than any sort of building exercise

Rudy Gestede, wants to offer even more minutes to those Under-23 in the Academy.

"What we have seen in the last year, the minutes played by our Academy players has dropped drastically," he told The Lancashire Telegraph in April.

"We used to be over 2,000 minutes for Under-23 Academy players. Last 12 months, 142 minutes.

"That affects the value of the asset and we want to go back to that model. That was part of the discussions with Valerien. They have to be part of your squad planning and we will also go in the market for young players."

Edited yesterday at 07:56 by KentExile

[Leonard Venkhater]

5 minutes ago, KentExile said:

ore of a recap than a story

Rudy Gestede, wants to offer even more minutes to those Under-23 in the Academy.

"What we have seen in the last year, the minutes played by our Academy players has dropped drastically," he told The Lancashire Telegraph in April.

"We used to be over 2,000 minutes for Under-23 Academy players. Last 12 months, 142 minutes.

"That affects the value of the asset and we want to go back to that model. That was part of the discussions with Valerien. They have to be part of your squad planning and we will also go in the market for young players."

Does he think we are all fcking stupid?

[davulsukur]

7 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Does he think we are all fcking stupid?

........yes....?

[Ricceh]

43 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Does he think we are all fcking stupid?

I for one will admit I am stupid, as shown by continuing to suffer through these morons.

[K-Hod]

58 minutes ago, KentExile said:

More of a recap than a story, but confirmation that its all about increasing value (selling players) rather than any sort of building exercise

Rudy Gestede, wants to offer even more minutes to those Under-23 in the Academy.

"What we have seen in the last year, the minutes played by our Academy players has dropped drastically," he told The Lancashire Telegraph in April.

"We used to be over 2,000 minutes for Under-23 Academy players. Last 12 months, 142 minutes.

"That affects the value of the asset and we want to go back to that model. That was part of the discussions with Valerien. They have to be part of your squad planning and we will also go in the market for young players."

It's absolutely fine to want to progress academy players, otherwise, what's the point in having one?

However, the whole raison d'etre of Blackburn Rovers Football Club & Athletic PLC is the first team.

It's pointless to promote players from the academy to the first team, if they aren't ready, all this will do, is hold the first team back.

[JHRover]

53 minutes ago, KentExile said:

More of a recap than a story, but confirmation that its all about increasing value (selling players) rather than any sort of building exercise

Rudy Gestede, wants to offer even more minutes to those Under-23 in the Academy.

"What we have seen in the last year, the minutes played by our Academy players has dropped drastically," he told The Lancashire Telegraph in April.

"We used to be over 2,000 minutes for Under-23 Academy players. Last 12 months, 142 minutes.

"That affects the value of the asset and we want to go back to that model. That was part of the discussions with Valerien. They have to be part of your squad planning and we will also go in the market for young players."

It's just totally ridiculous stuff now. Parody level. I appreciate that a bloke like Gestede has to come out with stuff like this to justify his employment and 'project' but it really is as though the last 4-5 years just haven't happened and we are all supposed to forget about it.

They employed Broughton and JDT under this precise remit. It worked. JDT brought through a huge number of academy players and integrated them into the first XI. Broughton got them all under proper contracts. Adam Wharton being the big one but also Carter, Garrett, Vale, Leonard, and others, all elevated from the academy to the first XI whilst many managers wouldn't have even considered doing so.

He managed this whilst also sustaining good results and should have got us in the play-offs. If there had been a little less obsession with the academy players and more focus on immediate results we might have recruited differently in January 2023 and perhaps got the extra point needed to secure a play-off position. 

But despite that they - the owners and board - quickly took a wrecking ball to that project, forcing out the manager and Director of Football due to appalling conduct and then handed the job to Eustace who clearly has a strong preference for experience - and allowed him to top the squad up with senior players - McFadzean, Batth, Weimann, Cantwell. 

Fair enough, it worked, its a means to an end - it should and probably would have got us a play-off position had the same owners and board then not took a wrecking ball to that process and forced that manager out to Derby County.

And now we have Gestede sat there telling us we need to use the academy more. Total and utter clown show, but ultimately they know this stuff is music to the ears of the owners and certain fans, it justifies a total lack of investment and recruitment in ready made quality players and it provides for 'jam tomorrow' as we can float around going nowhere for another couple of years whilst the 'project' progresses, players develop whilst we sacrifice results in return and then to add the icing to the cake we let them run their contracts down so rival clubs can snap them up, once ready, for next to nothing (Dolan).

Micky mouse outfit operated by complete chancers.

[den]

If that is their ultimate strategy, then it’s naieve and is going to get us nowhere. 
 

The number one aim and the whole reason to exist is for the first team to be as good as it possibly can be. Focussing everything on the Academy and bringing through young players is totally missing the point. It’s getting harder and harder for lower league clubs to either keep these youngsters or sell them on for anything like their true value.

The number one focus has to be, to get together the strongest first team squad we can, in any way we can. Get into the top division and then we have a far better chance of either keeping our academy lads or getting their true worth in the transfer market.

This current set of owners are so naive they swallow whatever amateurs like Gestede tell them - and Gestede just tells ‘em what he thinks they want to hear.

Totally and completely wrong.

 

Edited yesterday at 09:23 by den

[Lancaster Rover]

There is a funding implication to offering players more minutes, this moves you up the EPPP league table in terms of output, resulting in increased funding. There is also an impact on any players that then leave on a tribunal or don't renew with us, the training comp is based on a mix of 'training cost' and the value they are to the team.

[Exiled_Rover]

43 minutes ago, den said:

If that is their ultimate strategy, then it’s naieve and is going to get us nowhere. 
 

The number one aim and the whole reason to exist is for the first team to be as good as it possibly can be. Focussing everything on the Academy and bringing through young players is totally missing the point. It’s getting harder and harder for lower league clubs to either keep these youngsters or sell them on for anything like their true value.

The number one focus has to be, to get together the strongest first team squad we can, in any way we can. Get into the top division and then we have a far better chance of either keeping our academy lads or getting their true worth in the transfer market.

This current set of owners are so naive they swallow whatever amateurs like Gestede tell them - and Gestede just tells ‘em what he thinks they want to hear.

Totally and completely wrong.

 

The owners aren't naive. 

[Lancaster Rover]

Elliot Jackson banding around the idea of an ultimatum made to Brittain, that's 100% the club paving the way for him to be sold, be very very surprised if he's a Rovers player next season. Championships' best RB will fetch a few million.

[davulsukur]

1 minute ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Elliot Jackson banding around the idea of an ultimatum made to Brittain, that's 100% the club paving the way for him to be sold, be very very surprised if he's a Rovers player next season. Championships' best RB will fetch a few million.

Has gone literally as people predicted it would:

1. Offer made
2. Progress on a new contract
3. Club confident he will sign
4. All goes quiet
5. Club leaks to the LET that he wants more than we are offering 
6. Sold for 1/4 of his value
7. Club blames player for being greedy

We've just hit stage 5 by the sounds of it. 

[DutchRover]

32 minutes ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Elliot Jackson banding around the idea of an ultimatum made to Brittain, that's 100% the club paving the way for him to be sold, be very very surprised if he's a Rovers player next season. Championships' best RB will fetch a few million.

So predictable, also explains the nominal links to Drameh and Cooney as replacements not back-ups

[Lancaster Rover]

On 03/06/2025 at 10:06, Mercer said:

Heard Rovers keen on Ryan Cooney (right back) and Ricky Jade Jones (striker).  Sounds about our level of ambition.

Jesus Christ, Ryan Cooney got released and couldn't get a kick at Morecambe 2 years ago. He's absolutely terrible and about 2 stone heavy.

I know he played a lot for Crewe last year but honestly if that's where we are at with quality of signings just announce voluntary relegation now. 

Edited yesterday at 11:37 by Lancaster Rover

[JHRover]

Yep they're playing the textbook 'player wants away' strategy and as correctly pointed out above phase 1 of that is to try and convince as many people as possible that the club has been hard at work trying to tie said player down to a bumper new long term contract. 

Immediately shifts the attention away from Rovers and on to the player. 

Next up it will be talk about the player wanting to play in the Premier League, or having family ties down South, or being offered highest paid player status but refusing to sign. Again cleverly shifting blame away from the club and onto the player or circumstances outside of our control. 

Seen it all before. Its such a shame that some still can't see what they are up to.

The problem they will face is they are going to have to repeat this game 3-4 times this summer with Travis, Dolan, Brittain and Tronstad. They already came with the 'family ties on the continent' rubbish with Tronstad which he swiftly silenced with his interview soon after declaring he would be happy to stay. 

[roversfan99]

51 minutes ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Elliot Jackson banding around the idea of an ultimatum made to Brittain, that's 100% the club paving the way for him to be sold, be very very surprised if he's a Rovers player next season. Championships' best RB will fetch a few million.

Where did he say this?

[RoversTilliDie]

Somebody should have bought Ismael, a euro millions ticket last night,  199 million in the transfer kitty, problems solved.

[wilsdenrover]

6 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Yep they're playing the textbook 'player wants away' strategy and as correctly pointed out above phase 1 of that is to try and convince as many people as possible that the club has been hard at work trying to tie said player down to a bumper new long term contract. 

Immediately shifts the attention away from Rovers and on to the player. 

Next up it will be talk about the player wanting to play in the Premier League, or having family ties down South, or being offered highest paid player status but refusing to sign. Again cleverly shifting blame away from the club and onto the player or circumstances outside of our control. 

Seen it all before. Its such a shame that some still can't see what they are up to.

The problem they will face is they are going to have to repeat this game 3-4 times this summer with Travis, Dolan, Brittain and Tronstad. They already came with the 'family ties on the continent' rubbish with Tronstad which he swiftly silenced with his interview soon after declaring he would be happy to stay. 

How about the doesn’t fit Ismael’s way of playing card - who are they saving that one for?

 

[MarkBRFC]

35 minutes ago, DutchRover said:

So predictable, also explains the nominal links to Drameh and Cooney as replacements not back-ups

Selling Brittain for say £3m and getting in Dramaeh for £1m and less wages would be right up this lot's street.

32 minutes ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Jesus Christ, Ryan Cooney got released and couldn't get a kick at Morecambe 2 years ago. He's absolutely terrible and about 2 stone heavy.

I know he played a lot for Crewe last year but honestly if that's where we are at with quality of signings just announce voluntary relegation now. 

Cooney hasn't been credibly linked.

8 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

How about the doesn’t fit Ismael’s way of playing card - who are they saving that one for?

 

Definitely either Trav or Tonstrad, Trav is my guess.

[Blow-in]

On 03/06/2025 at 09:44, Tomphil2 said:

We'll find out in the next few years for sure and whilst it's an unpopular opinion and in no way an endorsement of his overall ability or tenure it might turn out it was only Waggots interventions that kept us in this league recently.

You are right, we nearly go to the playoffs twice.

[Mercer]

The wiriting is on the wall - Brittain goes and then Travis and Tronstrad ask themselves why bother, an inevitable tatty bye to all 3.

IMO, bottom 3 come September and marooned at bottom by December.

[Torgeir]

1 hour ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Elliot Jackson banding around the idea of an ultimatum made to Brittain, that's 100% the club paving the way for him to be sold, be very very surprised if he's a Rovers player next season. Championships' best RB will fetch a few million.

Jackson is merely reporting what's going on. We've let too many players go for free so I think it's sensible from the club's pov to grab a fee while we can. I'm sure he's being touted around by his agent and has better offers than what he's getting here.

 

Would be great if we can renew his contract but I fully expect Brittain to leave this window after the season's he's just had.

[JHRover]

5 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

 

 

Would be great if we can renew his contract but I fully expect Brittain to leave this window after the season's he's just had.

He'll likely leave this window because the club want rid of him. He's at an age we don't want to be giving contracts out, he's on a wage that we are looking to cut, we have allowed his contract to run down without renewing it and we want to get our hands on the hard cash that only he and a few others will be able to command from other clubs.

The fact he has had a good season merely means even more of a desire to cash in from Rovers and potentially more interest from rivals.

We don't want to renew his contract, or anyone else's, hence no talks, as confirmed by Travis, Tronstad and Brittain in recent interviews.

In a normal world he would be under contract for another 3 years already, that's what a normal football club would have done by now and there's absolutely no reason why we couldn't have done that and he would have signed, had we really wanted to.