3 midfielders Blackburn Rovers must eye after new transfer collapse ft ex-£6m Southampton star | OneFootball

Blackburn's move for the free agent Ryotaro Ito failed at the last minute, but here are three alternatives that they could try to secure.

A move for the Japanese international Ryotaro Ito collapsed at the last minute, but if Blackburn Rovers do still need midfield reinforcement, here are three alternatives that they could consider.

As post-transfer window moves for players go, it was certainly an audacious one. Blackburn Rovers' move for free agent Ryotaro Ito was nothing if not bold, and his arrival at Ewood Park could have added an extra dimension to the Rovers squad.

But the news turned out to be bad for the club. The proposed move for the midfielder, who made over 100 appearances for the Belgian club Sint-Truiden between 2023 and 2026, fell to pieces at the last minute as a result of issues brought up by the 28-year-old's medical, and this has left the Championship club with a gap in midfield in their squad which could do with filling.

With the transfer window having closed almost two weeks ago, there is now no scope for signing players until the start of January, but this doesn't completely close the door on bringing in new players over the next three and a half months. Free agents can be brought in, and this opens a window of opportunity to pick up a player who's proved unwanted elsewhere.

It's not an ideal position for the club to be in, but it is still an opportunity, so here are three out-of-contract midfielders that Blackburn could fill that gap with, should they wish to do so before the 1st January 2027.

Joe Aribo

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The 34-times-capped Nigerian international Joe Aribo has been clicking his heels since being released by Southampton at the end of the 2025-26 season. Aribo comes with a wealth of experience, having also played for Charlton Athletic and Rangers, and he was last seen on loan at Leicester City after being sent there on loan by the Saints in the January 2026 transfer window.

Aribo offers both experience and versatility. He played almost 100 games in the SPFL for Rangers and more than 50 games in the Premier League for Southampton over the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons, having left Ibrox for Hamsphire in an initial £6 million deal when the Saints were competing at top-flight level.

a He can play in the centre of midfield or wide, and he's extremely proficient at holding up play and carrying possession upfield.

His half-season at Leicester didn't go as he would have hoped, but that club's issues are far broader than any one player. There's still a class act of a player in there, and at 30 years of age, Blackburn could get a few years out of him yet. He could be a sensible option to bolster their numbers in 2026-27.

Olivier Ntcham

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There are a few parallels between Olivier Ntcham and Joe Aribo. Both are 30-years old and, with Ntcham having made nine appearances for Cameroon, both have played international football for an African nation.

Both have played in Scotland, with Ntcham having made almost 150 appearances for Celtic between 2017 and 2021. And both have prior Championship experience, with Ntcham having been a regular in the Swansea City team between 2021 and 2023.

Ntcham has been out of contract since being released by the Turkish club Samsunspor upon the expiry of his contract there in the summer. He's not as familiar a name as Aribo, but he's got a similar level of experience at both club and international levels. In 2022, Ntcham was deemed good enough to go to the World Cup finals with Cameroon.

Celtic had picked him up for £4.5 million from Manchester City in 2017. Upon his arrival from Celtic Park, great things had been expected of him. He never quite hit those peaks, but there could definitely be a place for him in the Blackburn Rovers squad this season.

Greg Doherty

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It's barely been a couple of weeks since Greg Docherty was in the Charlton Athletic team for their EFL Cup trip to The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to play Spurs. A week after that match, it was confirmed that Docherty had left the club by mutual consent, and no-one else has picked him up yet.

Docherty's departure from The Valley was something of a shock. He was the captain of their 2024-25 promotion-winning team and made 37 Championship appearances for them last season. Furthermore, no reason for this has been given publicly, with the club only saying that, "We had open conversations around that and felt that this was the best way forward."

At 30-years-old, Docherty should still have much to offer at a Championship level. He's played Scottish Premiership football for both Rangers and Hibernian, and made almost 150 appearances for Hull City before going to Charlton in 2024. On paper, he could offer meaningful competition in the starting line-up for players such as Sam Morsy and Kristi Montogomery.

It was a surprise that Docherty was released by Charlton, and it remains one that he wasn't quickly picked up immediately by another club. Blackburn Rovers could seriously benefit by correcting that and making him an offer.