Valerien Ismael makes clear Blackburn Rovers transfer exit prediction | OneFootball

Rovers' play-off push has faded in recent weeks since Ismael replaced John Eustace, and he's looking to make changes ahead of 2025-26

Blackburn Rovers head coach Valerien Ismael has made his biggest declaration yet that there will be big changes at Ewood Park this summer, with a current poor run of form jeopardising their Championship play-off chances.

Rovers were in the top six when John Eustace departed for relegation-threatened Derby County in February, and whilst interim boss David Lowe gained back-to-back wins over West Brom and Plymouth to solidify that spot, it hasn't taken long for things to unravel.

Ismael came into the fold as the Blackburn hierarchy's chosen Eustace replacement in the aftermath of a 3-0 defeat at Swansea City, but after four games in charge, the Frenchman has only managed to pick up one point out of a possible 12.

That singular point came in the form of a 96th-minute Andi Weimann goal in a 1-1 draw at home against Norwich City last month, but three defeats on the spin have followed, which has seen the Lancashire outfit drop five points adrift of the play-off spots.

Valerien Ismael issues overhaul threat to Blackburn Rovers squad

Supporters are already feeling restless over the poor form under Ismael, with a negative atmosphere building on matchdays at Ewood Park.

Anger is usually directed at absent owners the Venky's, as well as CEO Steve Waggott, but Ismael is already becoming a target too, with FLW's Rovers fan pundit recently labelling the ex-Bayern Munich defender as the "cheap" option.

Wherever Blackburn finish in the table, it appears that Ismael is in it for the long haul, having signed a three-and-a-half year deal, and he's already looking at making significant changes to the squad next season - even though there's still eight matches in the Championship season to play.

"Yes, but we play with the players we have at the minute. So the players who are available. We have a lot of injured players," Ismael told the Lancashire Telegraph when asked about whether he's assessed his full squad already with a view to 2025-26.

"At some point, for sure, at the end of the season, it will help me and my staff to assess properly and to see which player we will need.

"Because a lot of players will leave the club at the end of the season. And it's a chance to reset and to take exactly the profile of the player we need."

Blackburn Rovers may find themselves relying on Venky's even more next season

Like a lot of clubs in the Championship without parachute payments, Blackburn are a loss-making outfit without player trading - although the recent official accounts for the 2023-24 season showed that Rovers are capable of producing and developing Premier League players.

The sale of academy graduate Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace in January 2024 helped Rovers record a profit for that season of £3.3 million, and if that deal didn't come to fruition, then they would have instead made a £17.2 million loss.

It will be a similar situation for when 2024-25's numbers are released next year due to the August departure of Sammie Szmodics to Ipswich Town, but as we approach 2025-26, there doesn't appear to be an obvious candidate to cash in on in order to balance the books.

That is why the day-to-day Rovers hierarchy may be reliant on the Venky's - who haven't attended a Blackburn match since January 2013 - to help bridge the losses, but it also suggests that little money will be spent on transfer fees.

With Ismael revealing that many Blackburn players will be departing, it brings the likes of Tyrhys Dolan's future into question, given his contract expires this summer, as well as the likes of Danny Batth and Andreas Weimann - it's clear that he's not happy with what he's seen so far from his side, and it could be a new-look Rovers side come August 2025.