Blackburn Rovers’ Chief Executive Addresses Frustrations Over Transfer Window

Blackburn Rovers’ new chief executive Steve Curwood has stepped into the storm around the club’s summer transfer window and admitted what every supporter already feels.

“Everyone is frustrated.”

Rovers finished deadline day with four signings and a stack of near-misses. Three separate deals collapsed on the final day of the window, leaving Tony Mowbray short of the “extra little bit of something” he had pushed for.

Curwood, speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, insisted the club had not lacked ambition or backing.

“Deals were on the table,” he said. “Deals were agreed with players and clubs.”

Then football’s darker arts kicked in.

“We can talk about morals in football, maybe there aren't too many now and that's what's happened. We were gazumped at the last minute on a couple of deals, and one was a foreign one which took a bit more time than you would anticipate.”

Two of those failed moves, BBC Radio Lancashire understands, involved Reo Hatate, who ended up at Burnley, and Brian De Keersmaecker, who joined Bristol City. Both slipped away just as Blackburn tried to close.

Curwood’s message was clear: the money was there, the intent was there, but the execution faltered.

“The investment has been there. There hasn't been a reluctance from the board. There has been collaboration throughout the process. I think at the final hurdle we haven't been able to get them over the line.

“Yes – it’s frustrating, we're frustrated, and Tony wanted that extra little bit of something which we haven't managed to do.”

A chaotic window and a late reset

The summer always looked awkward once the managerial situation dragged on.

Michael O’Neill, who steered Blackburn to Championship safety last season while still managing Northern Ireland, turned down the permanent job in mid-May. Only then did Rovers return to a familiar face, reappointing former boss Mowbray on 5 June.

By then, the market had already started to move without them.

Curwood did not try to sugar-coat it. He called the window “chaotic” and pointed straight at the timing of Mowbray’s arrival and a run of injuries as key factors.

“Ideally your manager will be in by the start of May to work out where are we going for next year,” he said. “So that timeline has been constrained somewhat, and then conflated by injuries.”

The dilemma was stark. Move early and compromise on quality, or wait for first-choice targets and accept the risk of losing out.

“If you want to do your deals early, maybe you can't go after the best players sometimes,” Curwood explained. “You've got to either wait and go for target number one with this risk, or cement one in the building because we know we can get him, like Jayden Fevrier for example.”

Blackburn chose to chase specifics. Mowbray identified three or four options for each position, but he wanted certainty about character and commitment as much as ability.

“We might highlight three or four targets, but Tony wants to make sure the people here want to be here and play for him.

“Was it the wrong thing to do to push for the specific players Tony wanted? These things happen when you try to be specific, but none of us want to just bring in players to add bodies in the building.”

The price of that stance was visible when those late deals fell apart.

Outgoings, balance and missed incomings

Seven players left Ewood Park over the summer. With the incoming business lighter than expected, some fans have questioned whether Rovers cut too deep.

Curwood stood firm on that call.

“You've got to allow the manager to make certain decisions,” he said. “The squad list was top-heavy. Certain players needed game-time, like George Pratt going to Bradford.”

Blackburn did at least resist interest in several key figures. BBC Radio Lancashire understands the club turned down offers for Ryoya Morishita, Sean McLoughlin, Balasz Toth, Yuki Ohashi and Ryan Alebiosu.

So while the squad feels thinner than many hoped, Rovers did not allow a fire sale to develop. The issue is not who left, but who never arrived.

A whirlwind start and a promise

Curwood himself is only two months into the job after arriving from League Two side Fleetwood Town. His first weeks have been anything but gentle.

“It's been a whirlwind since I arrived – with a transfer window, an administrator going to another club, and a senior physiotherapist leaving,” the 54-year-old said.

He has set his own benchmark: judge him on the first 90 days and what follows, not on a chaotic handover window.

“The first 90 days will give me time to reflect and bring some of the processes this club need to improve where we are.

“We'll be in a very different position moving into the next window, and beyond that.”

The frustration is real. The explanations are on the table. The next question is blunt: when January comes around, can Blackburn finally turn intent into signings that stick?