Bristol Rovers have one more week to complete any remaining business in the transfer market as they look to make their final tweaks to the squad to ensure it’s in the best shape possible to secure the club’s status as a League One outfit.
January was never going to be an overly busy month after the significant overhaul in the summer. However, after a tough first half of the campaign and a managerial change, it was necessary for some alterations to be made.
At the time of writing, the addition of experienced midfielder Romaine Sawyers on a deal until the end of the season is the Gas’ only signing this window but it could be a shrewd pick up that brings with it limited risk.
Meanwhile, the major tweaks have been in regards to deflating what had become a slightly bloated squad. Loanees Jake Garrett and Michael Forbes returned to parent clubs Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United respectively while Bryant Bilongo and Luke McCormick saw loan exits of their own sanctioned to Harrogate Town and Forest Green Rovers.
For many, January is the least favourite month in the football calendar and that viewpoint has certainly been relayed a couple of times by new head coach Inigo Calderon who has repeatedly enforced the message that Rovers will only recruit new players if they are an upgrade on current options.
It would be a surprise, and slightly underwhelming, if the Gas are already done in the market this month. It’s just a case of what might happen. Here is the current state of play as we understand it with a week to go until the window closes at 11pm on February 3…
Latest on potential arrivals
Although the rumour mill has been incredibly quiet for the past fortnight or so, Bristol Live understands that Bristol Rovers are very much working behind the scenes to ensure that they add at least one more player to the squad before the end of January with two the ideal scenario.
The understanding is that bringing in another centre-back has always been a priority, alongside a central midfielder which was ticked off when Rovers took on Romaine Sawyers for the remainder of the season.
Barrow defender Theo Vassell is one name that had been linked to the Gas in reports elsewhere earlier this month with a centre-back of a ball-playing profile the ideal scenario but, naturally, it’s certainly not straightforward to recruit first-choice targets in a January window. Realistically, there will be a shortlist of multiple names with both permanent and loan options identified.
However, with Michael Forbes returning to West Ham and Taylor Moore frequently being called upon to play right-back of late, it’s certainly a position that the Gas could do with adding cover to.
Elsewhere, as fans have frequently stated, adding a striker would also be extremely helpful following Promise Omochere’s long-term injury but that’s where the cliche of January being a difficult market to buy in really rings true.
There’s no hiding from the fact that Rovers haven’t scored enough goals and the forwards they invested in over the summer haven’t yet met the expectations set of them. Because of that, the automatic response of many has been that another overhaul is needed.
Well, although fans won’t like to hear it, the reality is that when the recruitment ethos is to largely recruit young players with high ceilings, patience is required. However, given the situation in which the Gas currently find themselves in the League One table, you’re not going to find much of that.
Although Rovers will have identified targets, it’s entirely possible that any deals between now and the transfer deadline go down to the wire. Like last January, the Gas had to wait over three weeks of the window to finally sign Kamil Conteh while also waiting until deadline day to bring in Elkan Baggott on loan, although that was due to the defender’s participation in the Asian Cup with Indonesia. They were then reactionary in the final hours of the window to two options made available on WyScout late in Brandon Aguilera and Harry Vaughan. There could certainly be another scenario like that.
Realistically though, if Rovers are going to bring in a striker that is an improvement on their current options, they’re either going to have to get lucky with a loan or pay an inflated transfer fee.
Do you A, gamble on the players you invested in during the summer to come good imminently? B, hope to strike gold with a youngster on loan? Or C, overpay the odds for a striker with the hope that they can get enough goals to get the Gas over the line? It’s certainly not straightforward.
Who could still leave?
Following the loan departures of Bryant Bilongo and Luke McCormick, it is certainly possible that at least one more player leaves between now and the deadline. Admittedly, in regards to McCormick, the midfielder’s switch to Forest Green Rovers for the remainder of the campaign does suggest that he’s played his final game in Bristol Rovers colours considering his contract expires this summer.
The other permanently contracted first-team players who have current deals set to expire at the end of the season are Jack Hunt, James Wilson, Grant Ward, Romaine Sawyers, Scott Sinclair, Chris Martin and Matt Hall. Wilson, Ward, Sinclair and Martin are all regulars at this moment in time while Sawyers was of course brought in this window. Meanwhile, Hall is required as a back-up to Josh Griffiths in an already light goalkeeping department.
That means that, realistically, if another player whose contract expires in six months was to depart in the next seven days, Hunt is top of the list.
Inigo Calderon confirmed after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic that the right-back is now fully fit after spending the best part of two months out with a calf tear. However, he wasn’t selected due to both Joel Senior and Taylor Moore’s respective availability with the latter being played out of position at right-back in recent weeks.
The Gas head coach also confessed that he didn’t know whether Hunt will depart this month. Realistically though, if it’s not this month then the 34-year-old will be leaving in the summer upon the expiry of his contract.
It is understood that the right-back was up for sale in the summer if an exit could materialise, which it didn’t. Instead, the defender had to wait until late September for his first appearance of the season with his total for the campaign standing at just six.
If experience and knowhow is what Calderon wants in his team to get them over the line this campaign, then there is a fully fit defender with over 500 career appearances to his name waiting in the wings. However, it’s no secret that Hunt’s Rovers career has been unfortunately plagued by injury issues which may see the club opt to allow an exit, should a potential suitor make themselves known.
Neither full-back area has particularly been a position of strength lately and so perhaps the new head coach may be keen to keep the 34-year-old around for the remainder of the season to see whether he can add quality. Either scenario looks as likely as the other at this moment in time.
Elsewhere, there had previously been question marks over the possibility of Rovers allowing Luke Thomas to depart if his situation didn’t improve amid extremely limited game time under former manager Matt Taylor. However, the winger is very much back playing, featuring in all eight matches since Taylor was sacked and hopefully that means any speculation has been put to bed.
Jevani Brown’ situation after return
On the topic of departures, Jevani Brown is another player who will almost certainly leave the football club this summer if he doesn’t in the next week.
The forward arrived in summer 2023 when Joey Barton was still at the club and has seriously struggled in BS7, scoring just one league goal last term alongside five assists.
Despite his connections with Matt Taylor from when the pair worked alongside each other at Exeter City, Brown quickly fell out of favour during pre-season and was sent out on loan to League Two side Notts County. However, it didn’t work for the 30-year-old there either with his three goal contributions all coming in the FA Cup against National League North side Alfreton Town.
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County manager Stuart Maynard confirmed earlier this month that Brown had returned to Rovers and the forward is understood to have been back at The Quarters to work on his fitness.
An exit this month still seems the most likely scenario with clubs in both League Two and the National League reportedly monitoring the forward’s situation. However, if a move doesn’t materialise, you can’t rule out the possibility of Brown making another appearance in blue-and-white quarters under new management.
Prospects on loan
One thing that the Bristol Rovers recruitment team can certainly be plaudited for is the loan agreements for some of their younger prospects as well as the decisions to keep Kofi Shaw and Dan Ellison in particular at their current clubs for the remainder of the campaign.
The pair are currently playing in the National League for Yeovil Town and Aldershot Town and, although there were calls from a number of supporters to integrate Shaw back into the Rovers squad, keeping the duo at good clubs in the fifth tier certainly seems to be the right call.
Meanwhile, Jed Ward continues to impress in goal for Forest Green Rovers, also in the National League, and the plan for the young goalkeeper to get a full season of games on loan seems to be going as expected.
Elsewhere, after impressing at Yate Town, 16-year-old striker Ollie Dewsbury has earned himself another loan move, joining Taunton Town on loan while midfielder Jerry Lawrence has joined Hungerford Town after a spell at Bath City. Micah Anthony, who earned himself a contract with the Gas after a successful trial period, was also at Bath but suffered an injury.
All players will be subject to interested eyes for the remainder of the season with the hope that at least a few can put themselves in a position of possibly being integrated into Rovers’ squad next term.