Blackburn Rovers man tipped for January exit on one condition | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit believes winger Dion De Neve could leave the club in the January transfer window.

It is fair to say it has been a turbulent start to the season for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.

After only narrowly avoiding relegation from the Championship last season, Blackburn would have been hoping for a fresh start under returning head coach Tony Mowbray, but it looks set to be another difficult campaign for the Lancashire outfit.

Dion De Neve facing uncertain Blackburn Rovers future amid Tony Mowbray transfer frustration

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Having previously had a five-and-a-half year spell at the club between 2017 and 2022, Mowbray made a surprise return to Blackburn this summer to replace Michael O'Neill, who decided against signing a long-term contract at Ewood Park.

However, Mowbray is already experiencing similar transfer frustrations to his first stint after Rovers brought in just three new signings during the summer window in Gady Beyuku, Sam Morsy and Jayden Fevrier, as well as making Moussa Baradji's loan move permanent.

After picking up nine points from their first eight league games, Blackburn currently sit 16th in the Championship table, four points clear of the relegation zone, but their thin squad is already starting to cause problems as injuries continue to pile up.

One player who has struggled with his fitness this season is Dion De Neve, with the winger's only appearance coming in the EFL Cup defeat to Sheffield United in August, when he was substituted at half time.

De Neve, who has scored one goal and provided one assist in 30 appearances for Rovers since arriving from Belgian side Kortrijk last summer, returned to the matchday squad for the 2-2 draw at Portsmouth before the international break, but it remains to be seen how prominently the 25-year-old will feature in Mowbray's plans.

Blackburn Rovers fan verdict issued on Dion De Neve's Ewood Park future

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When asked which player he believes could leave the club in January, FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit Simon Middlehurst suggested that De Neve may be keen to depart if he does not receive regular game time, although he insisted that any exits would be dependent on new arrivals.

"It's a bit of a weird one, I think it all depends on which players we bring in," Simon told FLW.

"In the summer, it was a case of needing to lose players before we could bring them in, but we did lose quite a few players, which freed up a bit of space.

"Dion De Neve could possibly be one if he gets a lack of game time, maybe he might look to move somewhere in January to get more game time, which would benefit him and the club.

"He possibly could be one player that would want an exit in January, but it will all depend on how the first half of the season goes.

"If we're playing well and we're mid-table, then maybe players might not want to leave, but it all depends on who we bring in in January."

Tony Mowbray may have Dion De Neve dilemma in January amid Blackburn Rovers transfer concern

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Given that De Neve has been injured for much of the campaign so far, it is difficult to assess how highly he is rated by Mowbray and whether he could play a key role for Blackburn this season.

De Neve recorded just two goal contributions during what he admitted was a "mentally testing" first year at Ewood Park last season, so if he is to become a regular starter for Rovers, he will have to improve his numbers significantly when given an opportunity in the team.

Even if De Neve does not feature regularly in the first half of the season, Mowbray may still be reluctant to allow the winger to depart in January given the lack of depth in his squad, particularly as the 62-year-old will not be confident of being able to bring in the necessary reinforcements.