It’s no secret that Blackburn Rovers have struggled in the Championship this season, but there is hope for the future with the club receiving some increased transfer funds through player sales.
Rovers would finish the season in 19th, only securing their second tier status on the final day of the season thanks to a 2-0 win over champions Leicester City. Better will therefore be expected next season under the guide of John Eustace.
Eustace would join the club in February on a two-and-a-half year deal and will now be given time in the summer to finally bring in the players that he wants, with it being his first transfer window in charge.
He should have a fairly decent budget to play with, much of that down to the sale of Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace in the January transfer window. The young midfielder would star in the second tier for Blackburn in the first half of the season and has taken to the top flight like a duck to water, already becoming a mainstay in the Eagles’ starting lineup.
He’s earned plenty of plaudits as a result and is already paying back the £18 million that Crystal Palace paid for him in January. Those funds haven’t really been utilised by the Lancashire side just yet and they may well look to use it this summer.
It has been revealed by journalist Alan Nixon via his Twitter (X) that the £18 million will be paid as three separate chunks. Although no date has been given as to when those chunks will be paid, Eustace should have plenty of money to play with this summer.
There’s potential for the club to have even more money to play with if star man Sammie Szmodics was to leave this summer. The Championship top goalscorer is being touted with a top flight move and rightly so given his fine performances this season.
It’s set to be a summer of change at Ewood Park with Szmodics expected to exit, as well as potentially a few other first-team players. Fortunately for fans, they do know that due to the sale of Wharton and potential sale of Szmodics, that the club will have plenty of money to spend this summer to improve across the pitch ahead of next season.
Writer’s View
It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that Wharton’s fee is coming in multiple instalments. That could in fact potentially benefit the club and could force them to use their money more wisely.
Recruitment needs to be spot on this summer if Blackburn do want to improve. They should have the finances to do just that, but finding long term replacements for both Szmodics and Wharton is easier said than done.
Eustace will already have a plan in place for how he spends the money this summer and his squad may look significantly different at the start of the season compared to the side who beat Leicester on the final day.
