Blackburn Rovers must have real Derby County & John Eustace frustration as fresh transfer link emerges | OneFootball

Derby County manager John Eustace has raided Blackburn Rovers this summer

John Eustace shocked the Championship in February when he made the bold move to ditch play-off hopefuls Blackburn Rovers in favour of relegation-bound Derby County.

The 45-year-old moved under the premise of being able to enjoy more freedom in the transfer market at Pride Park, with the long-term goal of building a more competitive squad.

Eustace managed to pick up points in nine of the 14 matches he took charge of the Rams last term, which was enough to keep them in the second-tier.

Now, Eustace has begun to reap the rewards of his gamble and is assembling his squad to tackle the 2025/26 campaign with.

The former Birmingham City boss has been known for his excellent relationship with players, which reflects in the spirited performances his teams are known to put in.

It quickly emerged that Eustace was keen to dive back into his past this summer and bring some of his former players to Derby in the transfer window, and that looks set to continue.

John Eustace hasn’t held back with Blackburn Rovers raid this summer for Derby County

Experience is key in any successful Championship outfit, and this is something Eustace was keen to address at the start of this summer.

He brought both Andreas Weimann and Danny Batth to Ewood Park last year, obviously fond of the qualities they bring to a dressing room.

With their contracts at Rovers expiring, Derby’s boss convinced them to avoid signing an extension in Lancashire in favour of joining him in his new venture - Weimann returning to the club that he's already played for earlier in his career.

The pair decided to make the move, depleting Blackburn’s squad whilst subsequently strengthening the Rams’.

However, Eustace hasn’t stopped there.

He is now reportedly keen to bring Rovers’ defender Callum Brittain to Pride Park, after talks over a new deal with his current employers stalled.

To add insult to injury, Football League World exclusively revealed that Derby are also looking at a transfer for Blackburn captain Lewis Travis in June, although a move has yet to be made for the midfielder.

If Eustace managed to pull this quartet of deals off, it would decimate Rovers’ core and strengthen the Rams to no end, which could prove vital in the Championship standings come next May.

The Derby manager clearly had such an effect on his players that they are willing to follow him to his new job, but the East Lancashire outfit must be seriously concerned about the impact it could have on them.

Blackburn Rovers are still feeling the effect of John Eustace exit - Valerien Ismael may be left powerless

When Eustace left Blackburn in February, it ultimately cost them a real shot of promotion to the Premier League.

His exit led to a dip in form once new boss Valerien Ismael was appointed, who failed to win in his first seven games in charge.

Despite that, Rovers finished just two points outside the play-offs. Therefore, it could be assumed that if Eustace has stayed, they would have comfortably finished in the top six.

The Derby manager has now brought that frustration into the summer window, with the 45-year-old appearing to target his former employers in the transfer market.

Rovers will hope to hang on to Brittain and Travis, which would allow them to continue building for next season without the worry of Eustace’s ghost haunting them in the transfer market once more.

However, Ismael could be powerless if the pair decide that they aren't going to sign new contracts at Ewood Park, with the powers-that-be potentially deciding that they want to cash in instead of losing the duo on free transfers, no matter how influential they are to the team.

Blackburn fans may be able to stomach Brittain and Travis going to certain clubs, but if they both ended up at Derby County, there will be some major frustrations and potential anger that stems from it.