Football League World
·27 July 2024
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·27 July 2024
Once the transfer window closes, there will be plenty of contract business to attend to
For now, the full focus for Blackburn Rovers surely has to be on the current summer transfer window.
After only narrowly avoiding relegation from the Championship on the final day of last season, signings are needed to avoid a repeat of that situation in the coming campaign.
As a result, that is going to be the priority for the Ewood Park club, in terms of the immediate business they need to get done.
Once the window is closed though, they will have to turn their attention to the futures of some of the players already on the books in Lancashire.
Several members of John Eustace's first-team squad are now into the final year of their contracts with the club, and so are set to leave for free in the summer of 2025, if nothing changes before then.
With that in mind, we've taken a look at the six senior players at Blackburn Rovers whose contracts with the club are set to expire at the end of this season, right here.
With his deal having been due to expire this summer, the club took up the option to extend Sam Gallagher's contract by a further 12 months earlier this year.
As a result, the striker's deal at Ewood Park now runs until the summer of 2025 and it has been confirmed that the offer of a longer-term contract has been made to the 28-year-old.
Even so, there is also the possibility that Gallagher could be on the move away from Blackburn this summer, with the likes of Ipswich, Luton and Swansea credited with an interest in his services.
Tyrhys Dolan is another who had a 12-month option in his contract at the end of last season to ensure he was not able to freely walk away from Ewood Park this summer.
Indeed, the 22-year-old does also have the offer of a longer-term deal with the club on the table, although it is seemingly not close to being signed.
Reports have suggested Blackburn will not sell him in this transfer window, despite his contract situation, and interest from Luton. That may be influenced by the fact that at his age, they would be entitled to compensation for the winger if he goes when his contract expires in 2025.
Signed from Aberdeen in the 2022 January transfer window, it has been something of a frustrating time for Ryan Hedges since he made the move to Ewood Park.
There have been flashes of quality, but a consistent end product felt like it was lacking, while fitness issues have been a problem. Indeed, the Welshman looked to be playing some of his best football for the club under Eustace, before his 2023/24 campaign was ended prematurely by injury.
The winger will now be looking for a full season in 2024/25, at the end of which the 29-year-old will be out of contract, albeit with Blackburn holding the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.
Another signed in January 2022, Dilan Markanday has never quite got going since his move to Ewood Park.
Most of his best performances and biggest impacts have come in the cup competitions and he has not been able to consistently hold down a place in the side in the league.
His deal is due to expire next summer, but the club hold a 12-month option, so this is a big season for the winger as he looks to secure his future either at Blackburn or elsewhere.
Arnor Sigurdsson initially joined Rovers last summer, after taking advantage of FIFA rules to pause his contract with Russian side CSKA Moscow for another year.
The winger's move to Blackburn was then made permanent in December 2023 but only on a contract until the summer of 2025 – just a year from now.
After a mixed 2023/24 campaign in which the winger showed quality but not always on a consistent basis, while also being hampered by injury, it will be interesting to see what he can do this season as his future comes under further scrutiny.
Having enjoyed an excellent debut campaign at Blackburn in the 2022/23 season, Dom Hyam found things tougher last time round, though he was far from the only in that position at Ewood Park.
Even so, the 28-year-old still produced some important performances and is surely the club's most reliable centre-back when on top form.
That though, leaves Blackburn with an issue to solve this summer. Hyam signed a three-year contract when he arrived from Coventry City back in 2022, meaning he is now entering the final year of his deal, giving the club a decision to make over his future, and most likely a deal to negotiate.
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