Blackburn Rovers are preparing for their first full season under Valerien Ismael’s rule, where the Frenchman will have a tough job to better the seventh-place finish he achieved in the 2024-25 campaign.
The 49-year-old took over at Ewood Park in February following John Eustace’s departure to Derby County and suffered a nightmare start, losing five of his first seven matches in charge, failing to win until almost two months into his reign, but a turn-around in form towards the end of the campaign saw them push Bristol City close for the final play-off spot.
Players such as Tyrhys Dolan, Andreas Weimann and Danny Batth all look set to leave Rovers this summer upon the expiration of their contracts, leaving Ismael with multiple gaps that need filling within his squad.
Midfielder Sidnei Tavares and wing-back Dion De Neve are both welcome additions for Rovers, but losing experienced talent within their ranks will be increasingly hard to replace.
Nightmare Blackburn Rovers transfer scenario revealed – it involves Callum Brittain & Lewis Travis
When asked what Blackburn’s nightmare scenario would be this summer when it comes to the transfer window, FLW’s Rovers fan pundit Simon Middlehurst revealed some very plausible fears when it comes to first-team stalwarts Callum Brittain and captain Lewis Travis.
“For me personally, a nightmare scenario would be that we sell Callum Brittain and Lewis Travis, and we don’t actually replace them with anything strength-wise,” Simon told FLW.
“Callum Brittain has probably been Blackburn’s most consistent player over the last couple of seasons, so to sell him and not replace him, that would be a nightmare.
| Lewis Travis & Callum Brittain’s 2024/25 league goals and appearances, as per Fotmob | ||||||
| Player | Appearances (Starts) | Starts | Goals (Assists) | Assists | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Travis | 38 | 37 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Callum Brittain | 33 | 30 | 2 | 5 | ||
“And Lewis Travis at the end of the day is our club captain, so for him to be sold and again not replaced, that just wouldn’t put us in a good start to the season, especially after how last season ended.
“So that would be a nightmare scenario for Blackburn Rovers this summer.”
Blackburn must hold on to Lewis Travis and Callum Brittain despite contract situations
Some Blackburn supporters will welcome news of mass departures among their current crop, after the frustrating inconsistency that cost them play-off football last term.
However, a long-term project can’t be completed in one summer.
If Travis and Brittain join Dolan, Weimann and Batth in leaving Ewood Park, the club will have to spend the remainder of their budget on replacing on those players, instead of trying to raise the current bar with one or two star signings.
As Simon mentioned, the duo featured consistently throughout the 2024/25 campaign and were far from the club’s weakest links, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to be allowed to leave this summer, when other more pressing issues are at hand.
However, they have to be wary about the contract situations of both players, which could see them leave for absolutely nothing next summer if they are not sorted or not sold.
Both players are out of contract in June 2026, and a recent report from Alan Nixon suggested that the club’s hierarchy have been struggling to tie down the duo to extended deals – FLW also exclusively reported earlier in June that Eustace wants to re-unite with Travis at Derby County.
Rovers showed in the dying embers of last term that there is real potential to be a competitive Championship outfit under Ismael, but they can’t afford to lose their nucleus and pay the price later down the line – it may come into their thinking though to sell Travis and Brittain later on in the transfer window if they turn down fresh contracts.
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