Blackburn Rovers' hopes of returning to the Premier League had been hit extremely hard by the transfer embargo placed by the football league. After spending beyond the permitted figures, Blackburn have been given a penalty that will prevent them from signing players other than on free transfers. This will severely hamper their hopes of strengthening the squad that could only manage a ninth place finish last season. Blackburn prepare for their fourth consecutive Championship season but the team has not reached the play-offs even once during this period. Betfair have cut Blackburn's chances of reaching the Premier League to just 8/1 in the Championship 2015-16 odds.
The club had a very disappointing first season in the Championship. Since then, they have been coming close to a play-off place but failing at the final hurdle. Much of this push for promotion has come through the efforts of striker Jordan Rhodes, who is almost certain to leave the club this summer. Several top division teams are reportedly interested in the player, who is the club's record signing. Compared with his previous campaigns, Rhodes may have come in with only 21 goals instead of his season best of 28, but he continues to remain as the best player in Blackburn's squad.
The club's head of recruitment Tommy Johnson has confirmed that the hopes of promotion have been made extremely difficult by the transfer embargo. Nottingham Forest and Leeds United were the other two clubs to be penalised by the football league. Johnson has confirmed that the club will be spending much of their summer trying to lower their spending and comply with the Championship's fair play rules. Even though Europe's governing body, UEFA, has signalled a shift in its own fair play rules, it may not bring about an equal change at the Championship level.
Due to the financial restrictions, Johnson has admitted that the realistic chance of improving the squad will be to sign players on a free transfer. It is easier said than done since being available on a Bosman transfer makes a player extremely valuable for various clubs. Blackburn do have the advantage of having been a consistent top division team for several years. As a result, the club's infrastructure remains significantly better than the rest of the division.
Complying with the fair play rules will be tougher than in recent seasons since the final parachute payment schedule beckons for the Lancashire club. Already the payments from the Premier League are at record low levels and Blackburn will find it difficult to make up for the difference if they do not get promoted sooner rather than later.
Aside from signing new players without a transfer fee, one of the key ways to remain competitive is by keeping the existing players at the club. Blackburn have realised this and have managed to extend the contract of midfielder Darragh Lenihan by 12 months. He spent a significant portion of last season on loan at Burton Albion, but it now appears that the club see him as an integral part of their plans and have offered him a new deal. He made 17 appearances for Burton Albion during his loan spell.
Much of the transfer fees generated through the sales of players are likely to go towards meeting the financial fair play requirements. Hence, Blackburn are unlikely to make any expensive purchases even with the sale of Rhodes – their most saleable asset. Middlesbrough and a few other Championship teams are interested in signing the 25-year-old, but the entry of a Premier League team like Crystal Palace could alter the scenario entirely. There are even rumours that Everton, who are seen as Europa League competitors, could be in the hunt for the Scotland international.
The sale of Rhodes could fetch around £15 million or possibly more. Aside from the 25-year-old, Rudy Gestede has also emerged as a potential transfer target for other clubs. The 26-year-old had a very successful campaign after even managing to outscore Rhodes with 22 goals in all competitions.
Derby are the favourites to secure promotion via the automatic places. Derby are certainly a surprise favourite for the Championship title given that they finished eighth last season. However, Steve McLaren's team had looked certainties to get promoted automatically for much of the campaign. This is thought to be a major reason behind Betfair backing Derby at 6/1 compared to the odds of 9/1 for newly relegated teams like Hull City. Even though a major managerial change happened at Pride Park with the arrival of Paul Clement, Derby are seen as a strong team.
Clement will have a first taste of being the number one after having served as the assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at the likes of Paris St Germain and Real Madrid.
