The January 2026 Transfer Window

[Angry_Pirate]

38 minutes ago, pick32 said:

Chelsea willing to sell Leo Casteldine for around 1million 

Rovers would struggle to get within £1m of that asking price! 

Edited yesterday at 22:06 by Angry_Pirate

[roverandout]

Cashin is probably the height of our January business.  The rest will be more crap loans 

[roverblue]

Genuinely don’t know if this guys a guaranteed starter or a squad filler? Let’s hope he turns out to be decent as the young lads playing currently look to have bright futures so be a shame to shut them out for a shitty loan player.

As others have said other areas of the pitch are much more pressing first.

[Herbie6590]

58 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

It’s definitely going to happen over the next 3 weeks, but on what date will Gestede claim:

”Lewis Miller was always intended to be a right wing back”

When we sell Alebiosu to Everton probably…👀

[47er]

44 minutes ago, RTM08 said:

who have all played at CB sometime or other

Well that's the point isn't it?

[Exiled_Rover]

13 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Genuinely don’t know if this guys a guaranteed starter or a squad filler? Let’s hope he turns out to be decent as the young lads playing currently look to have bright futures so be a shame to shut them out for a shitty loan player.

As others have said other areas of the pitch are much more pressing first.

From what we've read Brighton are eating his entire salary (or a good portion of it) in return for basically guaranteed starting minutes.

[Tomphil2]

Written off before hes started ?

I like that, it usually means they do well, if he has a Van Hecke style impact we're ok.

[roversfan99]

Ive not seen much to suggest that people are writing him off.

[Torgeir]

1 hour ago, Kjell said:

Let's hope Cashin is a fighter and can help us survive.

The best part of the RoversTV interview is when he is questioned about whether he spoke to any of his Brighton mates about moving to Rovers, and he answers that they all recommended the club and could not speak highly enough of it. 

Yesterday, Ayari - presumably one of the Brighton mates - opened up in an interview about how horrible the atmosphere was at Rovers during his loan spells.

Somebody is lying, and I think I know which one.

No secret that things had gone tits up by the time JDT left, but then Eustace galvanised the team. Dressing room totally different now, but don’t think that’s our biggest concern atm. 

[ageoftherover]

I remain on the fence about the actual recruitment team (as distinct from the brass above them).

Theres been some dross, but some decent finds in there too and its pretty hard to play poker when every hand you get dealt is 2 8 off suit.

[Paul Mani]

5 hours ago, Polky said:

Time to get rid of some deadwood!

Good work

My guess is that they will de-register Gueye now for Cashin, then look to offload Gueye, and Pickering freeing a slot for a striker. Then de-register Hedges if the news is really bad, and sign a LWB. We’re still one short, the ones who look most at risk to be de-registered are Carter and Kargbo. Unless they sell Alebiosu. 

Cashin looks a really solid signing on paper. Hasn’t had a great time a Brum but was class at Derby and got his big move. Signing him and O’riordan takes the pressure off the young lads (Pratt and Atcheson), and the returning Wharton, Carter etc.

The one positive thing about Ismaels rambling is that he’s insistent on players being Uk based, and ready to go. 3/4 of those in addition to what we have will make a huge difference.

I would be tempted to give McLoughlin a little break as he’s looked leggy. O’riordan looked good when he came on against Charlton and he’s a beast too.

 

Edited 20 hours ago by Paul Mani

[RevidgeBlue]

6 hours ago, NeilInBristol said:

We made a signing! Woohoo!!!! They even submitted the deal sheet in time and everything!!!!! Wow! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

It's a loan with Brighton paying all the wages that's why.

[philipl]

6 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

It's a loan with Brighton paying all the wages that's why.

Cashin cashing out...

Noticed they are confident enough to be talking about the first signing so others are in the works.

Quite how we get to 25 registrations will be interesting.

Edited 13 hours ago by philipl

[yankfan]

Registering players is of no concern. 18 from that lot easily replaceable it’s just bringing in placers also not raising replaceable. 

[KentExile]

8 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

From what we've read Brighton are eating his entire salary (or a good portion of it) in return for basically guaranteed starting minutes.

Which is what Rovers should do with the youngsters we send to lower league teams, but don't, because its always about saving a few pennies now, rather than planning for the future

There will also be a financial downside for Rovers if we don't play Cashin (increased wage contributions etc), so this may well keep Pratt out of the team for financial rather than footballing reasons, which is, to put it lightly, a shame

[Exiled_Rover]

11 hours ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Rovers would struggle to get within £1m of that asking price! 

We'd go in with a £250k offer then act shocked when they turned it down.

Edited 13 hours ago by Exiled_Rover

[KentExile]

4 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Good work

My guess is that they will de-register Gueye now for Cashin,

 

Nobody needs deregistering until after the window shuts

See below

9 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

A player doesn’t need to be on the squad list to play in matches during the winter transfer window.

 

Edited 16 hours ago by KentExile

[KentExile]

Is 50 games "a lot"? 

It sounds like just over 1 season to me

 

Good luck to the lad, but it feels like a slightly false narrative is being pushed, likely at the behest of his temporary paymasters. 

Our new "experienced Championship centre back" has only recently turned 24, and has struggled at this level previously.  in his 3 partial seasons at this level, one ended in relegation, another he was in or around the relegation spots before being transferred, and this season, he has struggled to impact a Birmingham side who have not pulled up trees. 

All of the noises about game time suggest he is a cheap option, who will play regardless of performance, which given our predicament, feels dangerous.  If this is a data driven signing, I wonder if the data used, was the bank balance of the club?

I hope he proves me wrong

Edited 15 hours ago by KentExile

[cesus]

I suppose I have to be happy we have signed somebody. Hopefully he comes good. We are beyond desperate for a striker, we have either kept somebody well under wraps or its looking worryingly quiet.

[MarkBRFC]

10 hours ago, roverblue said:

Genuinely don’t know if this guys a guaranteed starter or a squad filler?

He will be a guaranteed starter, whether he is any good or not.

Lets be honest, he's here because he shares the same agency as Ismael, Rudy and co and because he's cheap, no other reason. The "experienced championship defender" narrative is complete nonsense. He might turn out to be decent, but it's a punt.

If we were looking to improve the actual football team, then a commanding presence to play in the middle of a back 3 would have been sourced, as McLoughlin clearly isn't up to playing there.

But, that's not the priority here, and it never will be so the cheap option will have to do, despite having 2 other players, with another one back in a month for that role already.

[Ricky]

Mates who are Birmingham fans think he’s awful. They too were super excited that they’d signed a £10m defender on loan and pointed to the fact that Brighton really don’t sign duds. He’s not been good enough to get into their fairly average back line. I’m hoping he just needs some game time but his previous stint in the championship was at the lower end of the league. He must have done something right to get a big money move but it’s a strange one.

Personally I would have preferred a 6ft 4 bruiser to play in the middle of the three. A full on body on the line type of player. Maybe they think O’Riordan will be the physical presence in the back line. 

[KentExile]

18 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

He will be a guaranteed starter, whether he is any good or not.

Lets be honest, he's here because he shares the same agency as Ismael, Rudy and co and because he's cheap, no other reason. The "experienced championship defender" narrative is complete nonsense. He might turn out to be decent, but it's a punt.

If we were looking to improve the actual football team, then a commanding presence to play in the middle of a back 3 would have been sourced, as McLoughlin clearly isn't up to playing there.

But, that's not the priority here, and it never will be so the cheap option will have to do, despite having 2 other players, with another one back in a month for that role already.

I thought Rudy's/Ismael's  agent was Unique SG?

Cashin appears to be with this lot - https://tornadosportsmanagement.com/clients

Him being the cheap option, I am sure is the main factor

RE the middle of our back 3, we now have to hope that Wharton defies history and can get (and  stay fit) for the rest of the season, thus keeping McLoughlin on the bench

Edited 14 hours ago by KentExile

[MarkBRFC]

12 minutes ago, KentExile said:

I thought Rudy's/Ismael's  agent was Unique SG?

Cashin appears to be with this lot - https://tornadosportsmanagement.com/clients

 

He moved agency's last week conveniently enough.

It's part of the reason I am expecting Paul Mullin to rock up as he's represented by these too, and just been recalled.

Edited 14 hours ago by MarkBRFC

[Paul Mani]

2 hours ago, KentExile said:

Nobody needs deregistering until after the window shuts

See below

 

Ahhhh got it…Thank you.

[Kjell]

49 minutes ago, Ricky said:

Maybe they think O’Riordan will be the physical presence in the back line. 

And maybe decisions are made for reasons other than those related to football.