8 players Bristol Rovers could sell or release ahead of a busy summer transfer window | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers are facing a major challenge to ensure their survival in League One during the remaining matches of the campaign with Joey Barton’s side in real danger at the moment.

It has been a very challenging season for Bristol Rovers this term with the club having already parted company with both Ben Garner and then Paul Tisdale with results having been frustrating for long periods. Barton has been tasked with try to keep the club in the third tier and he has faced a tough task to try and turn their form and momentum around.

However, four points from their last two matches will have given them hope they can put together a mini-run of form that would be good enough for them to survive the drop. Whatever division the club happen to be playing in next term, they will face a huge summer to try and see them enjoy more consistent performances and results next season.

With that in mind, we have put together a list of eight players the club might sell or release in the summer. Click ‘next’ to scroll through the list…

Kicking off this list of players who could leave Bristol Rovers in the summer is goalkeeper Alexis Andre, who is one of a group of players that are coming towards the end of their current deals when the season comes to a close.

Andre had not managed to make a single appearance in League One for Bristol Rovers this campaign and he is firmly behind both Joe Day and Anssi Jaakkola when it comes to the pecking order of Barton’s goalkeepers. The 23-year-old has never really been able to establish himself at the club since his arrival in 2017 and has always been behind more experienced options.

It does seem like the summer will be a natural ending for the keeper in terms of his Bristol Rovers career, it is hard to imagine them wanting to keep hold of the 23-year-old and also difficult to see him wanting to stay knowing his chances will likely be limited. This seems like an exit that is certain to happen at this stage whatever division they are playing in next term.

This one is far less certain than Andre, but if Bristol Rovers were to suffer relegation down to League Two it could mean that midfielder Zain Westbrooke looks to secure a move away back to the English third tier, even though he has not always been an impressive performer this term.

Westbrooke arrived at Bristol Rovers in the summer from newly promoted Coventry City and looked like an astute piece of business with him having chipped in with four goals and two assists for the Sky Blues last term. The 24-year-old, though, found life difficult at his new club at the start of the campaign and has not always been a guaranteed starter. However, since Barton took over his form has improved.

The midfielder showed his quality during Bristol Rovers’ recent 2-1 win against Doncaster Rovers with him registering two assists in that game. He has also managed two goals and six assists in total in League One this term. You imagine there would be interest in him from others in the third tier were Barton’s side to get relegated. They will want to keep him, but they may be tempted to sell.

Another player who could be set to leave Bristol Rovers in the summer is defender Tom Davies, who is another one in the group of players that are set to be out of contract with the club at the end of the current campaign.

Davies has been shipped off out on loan to League Two Barrow in the January transfer window, with the defender looking to get some regular game time as he aimed to recover from a knee injury that ended his campaign prematurely last term. The 28-year-old has managed to make ten appearances in the fourth tier since his arrival and has helped Barrow record four clean sheets in that time.

It has been suggested by Bristol Live reporter Sam Frost that Barton could have a look at the defender in pre-season and decide whether he is worth keeping hold of following his performances for Barrow. At the moment though, he will be heading for the exit door if no new deal is sorted.

One player who could well be contemplating his long-term future with Bristol Rovers this summer is David Tutonda, with the 25-year-old having struggled to establish himself in the starting line-up since he arrived at the club last summer on a free transfer.

Tutonda signed a two-year deal when he joined the club, so contractually he would still be a part of the squad for next term. However, he has managed to make just nine starts in League One so far this season and just 18 in total. That will not have been what he would have been hoping for when he arrived at the club following some impressive performances with Barnet.

If Bristol Rovers remain in League One for next season then it is likely that he would once again struggle for game time. Were that to be the case you could see him maybe looking to secure a move away elsewhere. Although if the club are relegated, then Tutonda would certainly be an option worthwhile using in the fourth tier.

Josh Hare is another player that could also be heading for an exit from Bristol Rovers when the current campaign comes to an end, with the 26-year-old also currently entering the final stages of his existing deal with the club.

Hare has endured a difficult campaign in League One this season with Bristol Rovers and has not been able to establish himself as a regular in the side. The 26-year-old has managed to make just 12 starts in the third tier and just 16 appearances in total. That comes after he was only able to make ten appearances last term having picked up an injury in September 2019 against Gillingham that kept him out of action for a while.

According to Bristol Live reporter Sam Frost, Hare is looking likely to be wanting to have a fresh challenge in the summer and leave Bristol Rovers. That would suggest that an exit is certainly at this stage looking like it is on the cards.

Experienced defender Mark Little is another player who looks likely to be heading for a departure from Bristol Rovers in the summer transfer window, with the right-back also entering into the final stages of his existing deal with the club.

Little has not been able to establish himself as a regular in the side at Bristol Rovers since he arrived at the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2019 following his exit from Bolton Wanderers. The right-back managed to make just nine starts and 11 appearances in total for the club last season, although he did have periods out injured. While he has found game time even harder to come by this term making just three appearances.

The 32-year-old has featured in the league just once under Barton, which came from the bench during the 3-2 loss at Charlton Athletic last month. According to Bristol Live’s Sam Frost the defender is likely to be wanting to leave the club this summer to find a side where he will be afforded more regular game time next term.

Arguably one of the main contenders for Bristol Rovers’ Player of the Year award for his important contributions to the side this term, but also potentially set to leave the club in the summer when his current deal comes to an end is Luke Leahy.

Leahy has been a reliable performer for Bristol Rovers throughout the campaign despite their struggles in the third tier. The 28-year-old is currently the club’s top scorer in League One this season with eight goals in his 33 appearances and he was once again on target during their 1-1 draw away at Northampton Town last time out in the league.

According to Bristol Live’s Sam Frost, Leahy could have done enough with his performances this season to have earned a new deal with the club. However, at the moment the 28-year-old is out of contract in the summer and if they are relegated to League Two then it might make it even more challenging for them to sort out a new deal for him.

Another player in a sort of similar situation to Leahy is Alex Rodman, with the experienced 34-year-old also seeing his current deal with the club expire at the end of the campaign and Bristol Rovers are going to face a difficult decision over his future.

Rodman arrived at Bristol Rovers in the summer of 2018, after helping Shrewsbury Town reach the League One play-off final in the 2017/18 campaign. The 34-year-old managed to chip in with five goals and two assists during his 27 League One appearances in the 2018/19 season, before managing to score two goals and register a further two assists in 29 games last term.

So far this season, Rodman has not had as big of an impact with his campaign having been impacted by injury issues as well. He has managed to make just 12 appearances in the league, but despite that Bristol Live’s Sam Frost does suggest he has done enough to earn a new deal. It remains to be seen whether Barton will feel the same way.