Burnley's Celtic transfer took dramatic twist after Blackburn Rovers revelation | OneFootball

Burnley hijacked Reo Hatate's loan move to Blackburn Rovers in the final stages of the window after agreeing a £6.5m fee with Celtic

Blackburn Rovers were closing in on an impressive deal for Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate on loan from Celtic on deadline day, until their bitter rivals, Burnley, had other ideas.

According to talkSPORT's Ben Jacobs, Japanese midfielder Hatate was on his way to sign for Blackburn on loan from Scottish outfit Celtic for the season, until Burnley caught wind and decided to pay in the region of £6.5 million, plus add-ons, for the 28-year-old at the last minute.

Blackburn endured a quiet summer window, bringing in just three fresh faces, as Hatate would have been their fourth and the one with by far the most pedigree, but now, Tony Mowbray's side have seen their bitter rivals scupper their plans at the last minute.

Burnley hijacked Blackburn Rovers' loan swoop for Celtic Reo Hatate with a £6.5m deal

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Hatate came through the ranks at Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale, and after two years in and around the first team, made the move to the United Kingdom with Celtic in January 2022, joining the likes of Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Tomoki Iwata to have made the move from Japan to Glasgow over the years.

The midfielder scored 33 and assisted 31 in 191 games across all competitions during his time at Parkhead, and with Martin O'Neil overhauling the club's midfield this summer, he was allowed to leave.

Blackburn had struck an exciting loan deal for the 11-capped Japan international, with the player on his way to Ewood Park to sign terms for the year, until Burnley swooped in at the last minute and diverted his route 15 miles down the road to Turf Moor instead.

Nicky Hayen's side will pay around £6.5 million plus add-ons for Hatate, and after a poor start to their return to life in the Championship, will be desperate to see an immediate impact from the former Celtic star.

Why Burnley ruined Blackburn Rovers' Reo Hatate deal

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Burnley endured an interesting summer, losing numerous key stars such as Zian Flemming, Jaidon Anthony, Maxime Esteve, Martin Dubravka, and Loum Tchaouna, each of whom played huge roles for the Clarets in the Premier League last season.

Joining them through the Turf Moor exit doors were Florentino and Lesley Ugochukwu, creating a big vacancy in the middle of the park.

Whilst the Clarets can still boast the likes of Hannibal Mejbri, Josh Cullen, and Josh Laurent, as well as the addition of Ugo Raghouber from Lille, Hayen believed them to still be short in that area, and sanctioned the move for Hatate as a result.

It would be remiss to ignore the possibility that Burnley also wanted to directly ruin Blackburn's transfer plans in the final stages, and whilst this alone wouldn't have been the only factor, it's certainly within the realm of possibility that it did come into the thoughts of those at Turf Moor when deciding to hijack the deal.

How have Burnley and Blackburn Rovers fans reacted to Reo Hatate's hijacked move?

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With the news that Burnley scuppered Blackburn's plans for Hatate, fans from both clubs have taken to social media to share their thoughts and opinions on the update.

This Blackburn fan takes a dig at not just Burnley, but his own club as well, believing the two clubs should not be having the same transfer targets.

This Burnley fan is more concerned amid the departure of Zian Flemming, and is 'bitterly disappointed' with the move.

This Blackburn fan doesn't believe a loan for Hatate was ever actually on the cards, and given their struggling finances, a £6.5 million deal was never a possibility.