2025 Summer Transfer Thread. 😂

[KentExile]

19 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Hasn't Elliott said Baradji won't be coming yet as all our eSC slots have been taken up with Axel ? Only way it can happen is if Mafoumbi is moved on 

Fixed that for you 😉 

Full story, & link below, pertinent parts in bold

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25365279.blackburn-rovers-transfer-business-gives-moussa-baradji-clue/

 

Blackburn Rovers’ move from Axel Henriksson will put the brakes on any deal for Moussa Baradji, at least for now.

 

The 23-year-old midfielder will be the next signing through the door at Ewood Park after a deal was agreed with Swedish top-flight club GAIS. He will join Lewis Miller in bolstering Valerien Ismael’s squad before the season opener against West Brom.

 

Henriksson’s arrival will further add to a well-stacked set of midfield options. Sondre Tronstad, Lewis Travis, Sidnei Tavares and Adam Forshaw are all competing for minutes whilst John Buckley remains at the club but is seemingly not in Ismael’s plans

 

A deal for Baradji has remained on the table despite the move stalling after an issue was flagged in his medical. The player and Rovers staff were incredibly disappointed and were very keen to bring Baradji to Ewood Park.

 

However, the move for Henriksson will prevent Rovers from signing Baradji, at least in the short term. That is due to the club now using all of their ESC slots, which are needed for players who don’t meet the GBE work permit threshold following Brexit.

 

Each Championship club gets four players and if then more than 50% of Championship minutes, they become eligible for a full regular GBE permit in the following transfer window.

 

 

Rovers have Balazs Toth, Exause Mafoumbi and Augustus Kargbo occupying their ESC slots, plus Herniksson when he signs. By the January transfer window, it’s reasonable to expect that Toth will have met the criteria to convert, considering he is going to be number one.

 

Kargbo could too, though that is less likely. Either way, that would only be a benefit in the January transfer window and beyond. The only way for Blackburn Rovers to free up an ESC slot this summer would be to sell one of those players.

 

A loan move is not sufficient as the player still need to have a permit to be registered in England. So, realistically, unless Rovers were to sell Mafoumbi, a deal for Baradji or any other player that doesn’t hit the GBE criteria is off the table.

Edited 2 hours ago by KentExile

[aletheia]

Rovers, experience, precedent...

Of course all football fans live in hope 🙂

[wilsdenrover]

8 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Fixed that for you 😉 

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25365279.blackburn-rovers-transfer-business-gives-moussa-baradji-clue/

 

Blackburn Rovers’ move from Axel Henriksson will put the brakes on any deal for Moussa Baradji, at least for now.

 

The 23-year-old midfielder will be the next signing through the door at Ewood Park after a deal was agreed with Swedish top-flight club GAIS. He will join Lewis Miller in bolstering Valerien Ismael’s squad before the season opener against West Brom.

 

Henriksson’s arrival will further add to a well-stacked set of midfield options. Sondre Tronstad, Lewis Travis, Sidnei Tavares and Adam Forshaw are all competing for minutes whilst John Buckley remains at the club but is seemingly not in Ismael’s plans

 

A deal for Baradji has remained on the table despite the move stalling after an issue was flagged in his medical. The player and Rovers staff were incredibly disappointed and were very keen to bring Baradji to Ewood Park.

 

However, the move for Henriksson will prevent Rovers from signing Baradji, at least in the short term. That is due to the club now using all of their ESC slots, which are needed for players who don’t meet the GBE work permit threshold following Brexit.

 

Each Championship club gets four players and if then more than 50% of Championship minutes, they become eligible for a full regular GBE permit in the following transfer window.

 

 

Rovers have Balazs Toth, Exause Mafoumbi and Augustus Kargbo occupying their ESC slots, plus Herniksson when he signs. By the January transfer window, it’s reasonable to expect that Toth will have met the criteria to convert, considering he is going to be number one.

 

Kargbo could too, though that is less likely. Either way, that would only be a benefit in the January transfer window and beyond. The only way for Blackburn Rovers to free up an ESC slot this summer would be to sell one of those players.

 

A loan move is not sufficient as the player still need to have a permit to be registered in England. So, realistically, unless Rovers were to sell Mafoumbi, a deal for Baradji or any other player that doesn’t hit the GBE criteria is off the table.

I said it earlier, but I’m going to say it again anyway 😁:

It is not reasonable to expect Toth to meet the (minutes played) criteria to convert, in fact i believe it is impossible.

(and less likely for Kargbo = highly unlikely imo).

 

[Paul Mani]

15 minutes ago, KentExile said:

You seem to have disregarded the content of my previous post and just replied to something else

Apologies mate. It wasn’t meant to be directed specifically at you. I just got the lot off my chest! 🤣

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, wilsdenrover said:

I said it earlier, but I’m going to say it again anyway 😁:

It is not reasonable to expect Toth to meet the (minutes played) criteria to convert, in fact i believe it is impossible.

(and less likely for Kargbo = highly unlikely imo).

 

So if Toth plays 90 mins every game he'll still fall short?

[KentExile]

6 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

I said it earlier, but I’m going to say it again anyway 😁:

It is not reasonable to expect Toth to meet the (minutes played) criteria to convert, in fact i believe it is impossible.

(and less likely for Kargbo = highly unlikely imo).

 

I think it depends how they look at things - if its how many minutes they have played (of available minutes) over the past 12 months, (so from Jan 2025 to Jan 2026) then it is reasonable to expect that as first choice, by January he will have played enough minutes, 

At least that's how I read it

If it is over his full spell at Rovers, then he doesn't meet it

Edited 2 hours ago by KentExile

[wilsdenrover]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

So if Toth plays 90 mins every game he'll still fall short?

Yes, as that part of the regulation says play 50% of the minutes (and play in 25% of the games) within the 12 months following the date from which he was granted his GBE.

We announced his signing on 30th August and he was on the bench the following day so his year runs out at the end of this month - and he’s currently on 6 matches out of a possible 42.

 

 

[wilsdenrover]

4 minutes ago, KentExile said:

I think it depends how they look at things - if its how many minutes they have played (of available minutes) over the past 12 months, (so from Jan 2025 to Jan 2026) then it is reasonable to expect that as first choice, by January he will have played enough minutes, 

At least that's how I read it

If it is over his full spell at Rovers, then he doesn't meet it

It’s not the last 12 months, it’s the 12 months from the GBE being granted.

[KentExile]

2 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Yes, as that part of the regulation says play 50% of the minutes (and play in 25% of the games) within the 12 months following the date from which he was granted his GBE.

We announced his signing on 30th August and he was on the bench the following day so his year runs out at the end of this month - and he’s currently on 6 matches out of a possible 42.

 

 

I'm certain its a rolling 12 month period, (but always has to be done in a transfer window )so by Jan 2026, it will be the 12 months prior to Jan 2026 that are used in the calculation

Anything else would make no sense whatsoever

Edited 2 hours ago by KentExile

[RevidgeBlue]

33 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

I think we can all agree that no more money will be spent after Baradji. 

Our budget was 5million if I'm not mistaken, we are surely in n around that mark after Henriksson and Baradji.

No money's been spent at all (net) has it after selling Brittain and JRC?

Genuine question as Im not completely au fait with the figures that have been quoted for the players coming in.

[wilsdenrover]

Just now, KentExile said:

Im certain its a rolling 12 month period, so by Jan 2026, it will be the 12 months prior to Jan 2026

Nope - see below from the FA doc:

 

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Nope - see below from the FA doc:

 

That would mean that if for example a player was injured upon signing (ACL in week 1 so something), they could never convert to a GBE, which would make no sense,  I presume there are further rules on that document

Do you have a link to it?

Edited 2 hours ago by KentExile

[wilsdenrover]

1 minute ago, KentExile said:

That would mean that if for example a player was injured upon signing, they could never convert,  I presume there are further rules on that document

Do you have a link to it?

Matches when a player is injured don’t count towards the calculation.

Here’s the link as requested (it is the GBE rules in their entirety):

https://www.thefa.com/-/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/registrations/gbe-2025-26/fa-mens-players-gbe-criteria-202526.ashx

[RevidgeBlue]

39 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Really? I’ve seen plenty of posts insisting that we are weaker now. In spite of signing six players. Most of whom none of us (including myself) have seen play. At best that’s saying the players we’ve signed are no better than the ones who’ve left, at worst those posters are saying the players who’ve signed are shite.

My point is, how could any of us know? It’s not even like the Danny Batth, Weiman, Cantwell etc situation last year where there would’ve been a number of fans who had watched those players and formed an opinion.

We could be significantly worse off, or we could be significantly better off. Only time will tell.

Surely that's the whole point of a message board, to give your opinion?

I know that as with every window you seem to be trying to quell unrest about the transfer activity for some reason but objectively this time round we've lost a load of players with Championship experience and replaced them with a load of players without any Championship experience therefore it is hardly surprising most people will assume we're a lot weaker.

Edited 2 hours ago by RevidgeBlue

[CambridgeRover]

2 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Surely that's the whole point of a message board, to give your opinion?

I know that as with every window you seem to be trying to quell unrest about the window for some reason but objectively we've lost a load of players with Championship experience and replaced them with a load of players without any Championship experience therefore it is hardly surprising most people will assume we're a lot weaker.

Some posters continue to do this weird routine of "No one knows for certain so you can't say". These same posters abandon this principle whenever it suits them.  We aren't here for Mystic Meg shows. 

We look and we judge. In my view we are slightly weaker than last year

[KentExile]

30 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Matches when a player is injured don’t count towards the calculation.

Here’s the link as requested (it is the GBE rules in their entirety):

https://www.thefa.com/-/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/registrations/gbe-2025-26/fa-mens-players-gbe-criteria-202526.ashx

I suppose we will find out one way or the other in January. 

I still maintain that it would make no sense if esc players can only be switched to a standard work permit after the initial 12 months, and not at another later date.  But that is my quarrel with the wording, not with you 🙂 

In the meanwhile, hopefully we can move Mafoumbi on and free up a space that way

 

Edit - Although this article seems to think that Sunderland converted Mayender in january 2025 despite signing him in July 2023, so if true, that would indicate a rolling 12 month period is used

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[simongarnerisgod]

after henrikson signs,we surely must recruit a centre forward,even if it`s on loan,we are criminally short of firepower up front

[RoversClitheroe]

1 minute ago, simongarnerisgod said:

after henrikson signs,we surely must recruit a centre forward,even if it`s on loan,we are criminally short of firepower up front

RW? 😂

[briansol]

17 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

No money's been spent at all (net) has it after selling Brittain and JRC?

Genuine question as Im not completely au fait with the figures that have been quoted for the players coming in.

Guesswork based on Transfermarkt and quoted sums from different media outlets it's pretty even so far. including the Brittain sale, but excluding the Henriksson capture as it's not been confirmed. Probably spent 5-600k more so far.

Would expect Henriksson to cost in the 1-1.5 range and add to the spend. 

https://www.transfermarkt.com/blackburn-rovers/transfers/verein/164/saison_id/2025

Of course all those numbers are uncertain as nothing is disclosed. I would assume they include clauses and installment payments, but that applies to both incoming and outgoing. Don't think any transfer is paid in full upfront anymore.

 

 

[neophox]

Where is Henriksson?

[RevidgeBlue]

3 minutes ago, briansol said:

Guesswork based on Transfermarkt and quoted sums from different media outlets it's pretty even so far. including the Brittain sale, but excluding the Henriksson capture as it's not been confirmed. Probably spent 5-600k more so far.

Would expect Henriksson to cost in the 1-1.5 range and add to the spend. 

https://www.transfermarkt.com/blackburn-rovers/transfers/verein/164/saison_id/2025

Of course all those numbers are uncertain as nothing is disclosed. I would assume they include clauses and installment payments, but that applies to both incoming and outgoing. Don't think any transfer is paid in full upfront anymore.

 

 

Ok thanks. Probably a very small net spend at this point then.

Of course if Henriksson or Baradji come in I'd say there'll be a very strong possibility of Trav going the other way so again we'll presumably be substantially in pocket on that exchange.

[aletheia]

On transfermarket, there would appear to be a rumour about Colin Rosler, a centre half from Malmo.

[wilsdenrover]

11 minutes ago, KentExile said:

I suppose we will find out one way or the other in January. 

I still maintain that it would make no sense if esc players can only be switched to a standard work permit after the initial 12 months, and not at another later date.  But that is my quarrel with the wording, not with you 🙂 

In the meanwhile, hopefully we can move Mafoumbi on and free up a space that way

I wonder if this restriction is to ‘encourage’ clubs to use their ESC places on players they intend to go straight into the first eleven.

The two other ways to convert to a non ESC continue beyond the initial 12 months - maybe Toth will eventually qualify under one of those.

Edited 1 hour ago by wilsdenrover

[KentExile]

1 minute ago, wilsdenrover said:

I wonder if this restriction is to ‘encourage’ clubs to use their ESC places on players they intend to go straight into the first eleven.

The two other ways to convert to a non ESC continue beyond the initial 12 months - maybe Toth will eventually qualify under one of those.

I just added a bit to my last reply, about Sunderland apparently converting Mayender after 18 months

[Herbie6590]

1 hour ago, oneandycrawford said:

And to be fair he wasn't a good right-back. Remember him taking a lot of stick from the Riverside (no surprise there!) Moving him into midfield was inspired though. Was that Tony P or Don Mackay who did that?

Tony