Valerien Ismael admits Blackburn Rovers are ‘a little bit tight’ in one area, he’s ready to ‘assess the market’

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He’s slowly but surely shaping the Blackburn Rovers squad in his image, and Valerien Ismael has now outlined the need for the Lancashire outfit to add new signings in one key area this summer.

In the wake of John Eustace’s unexpected departure back in January, Blackburn Rovers became a rather unstable ship for Valerien Ismael to steer.

The Frenchman struggled at first, but eventually picked up some good results and ended the 2024/25 campaign on a high, just outside the play-off places.

It’s hard to predict where Rovers will finish in the coming campaign, but Blackburn’s signings so far have been fairly impressive; now it sounds like there’s more to come.

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Blackburn Rovers need a new centre-back

Blackburn may have just snapped up Sean McLoughlin from Hull City, but after the injury to Hayden Carter in pre-season, Ismael suggested his squad is still short in the centre-back area.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Ismael said: “We feel as though it might be a little bit tight in that situation,” Ismael admitted on the centre-back depth.

“We will assess the market, this was not expected. We have to be careful and really smart with our squad. We will assess clearly the position we need and prioritise to make sure we’re not missing anything.

“We are still open on the centre-back position.”

By the sounds of it, Ismael won’t be stopping there, either, with attacking reinforcements also on the menu before the summer transfer window is over.

He added: “I won’t tell you about our discussions internally but we still have some work to do,” he said with a smile.

“I think it’s clear that we have something to do on our front line. Other positions, I think that we need two or three more additions which would be perfect.”

• READ MORE: The latest vacancy at Blackburn Rovers tells us a lot about Valerien Ismael’s plans

Who could Blackburn Rovers sign to bolster defence?

Ismael has already identified one centre-half he may want to sign, with Colin Rosler linked with a move to Ewood Park recently.

There are still a number of free agents available in the Championship who need a new home, too.

The problem is Blackburn may soon need even more defensive reinforcements; that is, if Middlesbrough meet their valuation for Callum Brittain.