How Blackburn Rovers actually feel about new Eiran Cashin, Brighton transfer deal | OneFootball

Blackburn want to bring Eiran Cashin back to the club next season after his successful loan from Brighton, although a permanent move is too expensive.

Blackburn moved another point closer to safety as they made it five unbeaten with a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Saturday.

Rovers’ improvement under Michael O’Neill has been clear to see, with the Northern Ireland chief making them very difficult to beat.

They are very organised out of possession, and the defenders in particular have been impressive, with Eiran Cashin among those to have excelled since O’Neill came to Ewood Park.

Blackburn looking bring Eiran Cashin back to the club next season

The defender joined on loan from Brighton in January after spending the first half of the campaign with Birmingham City.

Whilst Cashin had generally done well at this level with Derby in the past, he struggled at St. Andrew’s, so Blackburn didn’t know what to expect from the left-footer.

However, he has quickly settled in Lancashire, and he has been an important figure for O’Neill over the past few months, putting in some commanding displays.

Therefore, it won’t come as a shock that journalist Alan Nixon has revealed Blackburn are already making plans to bring Cashin back to the club in the summer window.

Yet, it appears it won’t be straightforward for Rovers, as the update states that Cashin will not be an option for the Championship side on a permanent basis, as he is out of their price range, with Brighton believed to have paid around £9m to sign the Ireland international back in January 2025.

Furthermore, the report adds that there is ‘bound to be competition’ for Cashin on a loan deal, so there’s no guarantee that he will return.

Blackburn are set for a huge summer as major decisions loom

Obviously, the immediate priority for Blackburn is to stay in the Championship, and despite their good form, they still have work to do, particularly as they have a very challenging fixture list on paper.

But, they are a strong team under O’Neill, so there will be a belief that they can get the three or four points that should ensure they’re playing in the second tier next season.

Then, the hierarchy is set for a crucial summer window, and the main concern will centre on keeping O’Neill at the club given the impact he has made.

No matter who is in charge, though, the squad will need to be addressed, and it would be a major boost if they could get Cashin back.

He is a solid, no-nonsense defender, and O’Neill has set the team up in a way that allows him to showcase his strengths, which wasn’t really the case for him at Birmingham.

As outlined above, though, his form in the past few months won’t have gone unnoticed, and Blackburn will fear they will be blown out of the water financially, as you would expect plenty of clubs to be monitoring the defender.

So, it’s one to watch in the summer, although Cashin and Blackburn will only be focused on grinding out more positive results in the next four games, and then the Rovers hierarchy need to get things right in terms of appointing a manager and backing him sufficiently.