Sunderland AFC man’s situation must have Blackburn & Cardiff City on 2027 alert | OneFootball

Alan Browne is set to leave Sunderland next summer, as both Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City should prepare moves

Whilst the transfer window has been shut for a month now, clubs will have already been busy preparing for the upcoming winter window and subsequent summer window in 2027, as teams across the Championship monitor the contract situations of players who could potentially be available for nothing in less than 12 months.

Though the window is shut, the work on recruitment never stops, as clubs across the Championship are constantly planning and preparing incomings and outgoings.

There are an array of talented players, young and old, who will become available for free to clubs in the EFL in roughly nine months, including Irish midfielder Alan Browne.

Browne, 31, is on the fringes of the Sunderland first team, and with minutes in the Premier League or Europe looking extremely unlikely on Wearside, an exit in the next year seems like a foregone conclusion.

Action images

Having first made the move to England with Preston North End in 2014, Browne would go on to make over 400 appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions before joining Sunderland in the summer of 2024.

He would play a bit-part role in Regis Le Bris' side's triumphant promotion via the play-offs, but would be allowed to join Middlesbrough on loan last season, where, despite playing a key role on Teesside, he would this time miss out on promotion via the play-offs.

An exit in the summer seemed likely. Blackburn Rovers were interested in a move for the Irish midfielder, whilst former club Preston also tried to bring him back, but no move ever materialised.

Alan Nixon reported via Patreon that Browne was in talks with Sunderland to end his contract early, but as of now, he remains a Black Cat, as Football League World takes a look at two Championship clubs that should be preparing moves for the 31-year-old next summer.

Blackburn Rovers

Action images

Blackburn were interested in bringing Browne to Ewood Park over the summer, and a return for the Irish midfielder ought not to be ruled out next summer when he is a free agent.

Given Rovers' lack of financial muscle under the Venky's ownership, the former Premier League champions have more often than not been limited to free transfers, loans, and deals for minimal fees.

This was reflected in their recent summer business, as whilst Moussa Baradji's loan move became a permanent one, only Sam Morsy (free), Gady Beyuku (minimal fee), and Jayden Fevrier (minimal fee) joined the club.

As long as the Venkys remain in charge and refuse to budge on how much they invest in the Lancashire-based club, Blackburn will likely continue to struggle and will be forced to work as smartly as they can within the market.

With Morsy 35 years old and Adam Forshaw 34 years old, manager Tony Mowbray has each of Baradji, Jake Garrett, and Kristi Montgomery to choose from as well, with midfield being a noticeably weak area for the club.

Whilst Browne is no spring chicken by any means, his experience and quality are something that Rovers severely lack at the moment, and while he will be 32 by the time his Sunderland deal expires, Blackburn would be remiss to not attempt to bring the former Preston captain back to Lancashire.

Cardiff City

Action Images

Cardiff City, like Blackburn, had a fairly low-key transfer window, bringing in just two fresh faces following their promotion back to the Championship under Brian Barry-Murphy.

Callum Scanlon and Nathan Trott returned to the Welsh capital after successful loans previously, whilst Jack Moylan arrived from Lincoln City and Krystian Bielik joined from West Bromwich Albion.

Whether these additions will prove to be enough to prevent the Bluebirds from slipping into a relegation battle remains to be seen, but should they stay up, midfield is an area of the pitch in which Barry-Murphy ought to be focusing his attention following the controversial summer departure of Ryan Wintle without a like-for-like replacement.

Whilst each of Joel Colwill, David Turnbull, and Alex Robertson can play in the deeper midfield role, the lack of depth throughout the squad is alarming, and should Cardiff suffer one or two injuries in that area of the pitch, all of a sudden, they are in big trouble.

Cardiff have a fairly young squad, and adding an experienced pro into the mix wouldn't be the worst move in the world, as Browne would tick a lot of boxes.

Linking up with his compatriot in the dugout, Browne would provide some much-needed know-how at Championship level, as well as strong competition for the likes of Colwill, Turnbull, and Robertson.

Cardiff aren't known for spending too much, and on a free transfer, Browne fits the bill, as the Welsh outfit should be monitoring his situation with Sunderland closely.