Bristol Rovers face familiar transfer problem - it must be addressed despite Darrell Clarke demand | OneFootball

Familiar problems in the transfer market for Darrell Clarke and Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers are well underway in their pre-season preparations for their first campaign back in League Two since their dramatic final day promotion in 2022. Three friendly wins against Chippenham Town, Bath City and Yeovil Town, as well as succumbing to a 3-2 defeat to Stockport County during their training camp in Spain, have given the new boss an insight into the needs of the squad ahead of a grueling new campaign ahead.

In contrast to previous seasons, Bristol Rovers aren't expected to be too busy in the transfer market this summer, with returning Rovers boss Darrell Clarke having spoken of his desire to have a small squad for the upcoming league campaign.

Darrell Clarke expresses wish for small squad

Speaking to Bristol Live, the Rovers boss said: "Listen, I don’t want a massive squad, if I’m honest with you, but I would like another four or five. We’ll be trading probably right until the last day of the window because that’s the situation we’re in. The owners have been very, very supportive. They’ve been fantastic with that, and we’re working hard and chipping away, and as and when we get new signings, you guys will be the first to know."

Speaking of links to potential new suitors for the club, Clarke added: "You’re always gonna get linked, but for me, no business is done until the ink’s dry on the contract. We’re after players, we’ve got lists of players that we want to bring in and these things all take a little bit of time, a bit of wheeling and dealing and stuff like that. So I’m not going to talk about individual players. There’s a few players that we are after, and we’ll get the right business done when we can."

There was always a good chance with relegation that Bristol Rovers would be forced to reduce their wage bill and thus their squad size and that would probably have had an effect on Clarke’s vision for his squad.

A thirst among Bristol Rovers supporters for more goals

With Bristol Rovers only managing three goals against the two National League South outfits (adding two goals against Stockport County in Spain and two goals against Yeovil Town), some are questioning the strength of the Pirates’ attack. Against Chippenham, Rovers walked away 2–1 winners. Meanwhile, against Bath City they only achieved a one-nil victory. By contrast, during the pre-season in 2024-25, after the first three friendlies against Melksham, Bath and Yeovil, the Gas had scored eight goals.

The first of the friendlies can perhaps always be excused as the team burns off some summer excess and new blood beds in. However, the general comment, as you would expect, from the opening few friendlies is on the need for the Bristol Rovers attackers to sharpen up their finishing as we approach the start of the season. And also that further ammunition up top is required. The Gas were repeatedly labeled toothless last campaign and Bristol Rovers are said to be keen to see Promise Omochere develop into the prolific talisman he was brought in to be.

That means they may not be willing to go out and spend substantial funds on another principal striker, but with the need obvious for all to see, and with the loss of the likes of Scott Sinclair and Chris Martin during the summer, this may be something Rovers are forced to reconsider once the season gets underway.

Recurring problems for Bristol Rovers in the transfer market

It's been an ever-recurring theme for the Gas that every transfer window a striker seems essential business. And Rovers may have thought that quest was over at the start of the last campaign, spending a club-record transfer fee to bring in Omochere. However, the 24-year-old striker only managed seven goal contributions in his first season at Rovers, playing 24 games in all competitions during an injury-ravaged campaign.

Every year there also seems to be a dance around whether Jonson Clarke-Harris will return to Bristol Rovers, with online reports during the summer suggesting a deal had been struck. However, despite a later Bristol Live report that Bristol Rovers had registered an interest in their former hitman once again, the 30-year-old free agent joined Turkish Second Division side Pendikspor.

The Gas have also opted to look at the loan market for additions in attack, with Gatlin O’Donkor and Michael Reindorf having underwhelming spells at the Gas last time round.

There have been some encouraging signs for Gasheads from the Rovers attack in pre-season as Omochere has looked increasingly sharp and eager to get his Rovers career back on track.

Likewise, Shaq Forde, who had a season to forget last campaign, has shown signs that he could have a season of redemption in the blue and white quarters. Ruel Sotiriou and Ollie Dewsbury have also been staking their claim to be in the managers' thoughts, with the latter signing his first professional contract just last week.

Clarke's admission that he doesn't want a massive squad, paired with concerns about the perceived lack of goals in his side following on from a disappointing tally last campaign, may lead to questions from Gasheads about the ambition being shown to regain their League One status. Goals get you promoted, so it is an issue that Bristol Rovers simply must address - in the transfer market and on the training ground.

Clarke and Bristol Rovers will now be watching the attackers closely as the challenge steps up in their final pre-season friendlies against Coventry City and Oxford United to gauge a better understanding of how far the current crop of attackers really are from a viable challenge at the top end of the table in the forthcoming new season.