Blackburn Rovers backed to strike deal for £9m star - it would be "welcomed massively” | OneFootball

Blackburn are keen to bring Eiran Cashin back to the club next season after his impressive loan spell since arriving from Brighton in January.

Blackburn Rovers took a step closer to safety with a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Saturday, which extended their unbeaten run to five games.

Rovers have enjoyed a brilliant turnaround since Michael O’Neill was named as head coach for the remainder of the campaign, with the Northern Ireland chief having made the team very hard to beat.

Of course, they still have work to do, but there will be a belief among the group that they can avoid relegation to League One, even if they have a challenging fixture list.

Blackburn Rovers urged to renew Eiran Cashin loan as talks planned

Whilst it has been a team effort from Blackburn to go on this positive run, there’s no denying their success is built on solid defensive foundations - with Eiran Cashin key to that.

The former Derby man joined Brighton for around £9m in January 2025, but he failed to break into the Seagulls’ XI, so a loan to Birmingham City was agreed last summer.

However, that didn’t go to plan, so when Blackbun signed Cashin in January, there was a sense of intrigue as to how he would do. Yet, the Irishman has quickly settled, and he has been a solid option for O’Neill as part of his back three.

So much so, it has already been reported that Blackburn want to bring Cashin back next season, with talks planned with Brighton over whether it can happen.

When asked by FLW about whether this is something the club should pursue, Blackburn fan pundit Simon Middlehurst admitted it is a no-brainer for Rovers if it’s a possibility.

“Since Cashin has come in, he has been solid for us, he has shown what he’s about and has been a big part in the turnaround at the club," Simon told FLW.

"So, 100% we should be pushing to bring him back, on a loan at least.

“A permanent signing won’t happen as we don’t have the money to splash, but if we have the opportunity to bring him back on loan for another season, and have a full season with us, then absolutely, he should be welcomed massively.

"Again, it all depends on who is going to be in charge.”

Blackburn Rovers must prioritise repeat Eiran Cashin deal this summer

The only concern for Blackburn right now is to stay in the Championship, and despite their good run under O’Neill, they will still want another three or four points to guarantee safety.

Providing they do that, they can start to plan ahead for what is a massive summer for the club, and the hierarchy must be doing all they can to keep O’Neill at Ewood Park for the long-term.

Then, it’s about giving him a squad that can be competitive, even if we know they don’t have a big budget compared to many rivals in the league.

But, they’ve shown that good deals can still be done, with Cashin an example of that, and bringing him back to the club has to be a priority.

As outlined above, they won’t be in a position to sign him permanently, so Blackburn will be relying on Brighton to sanction another loan. And, if Cashin is available, there’s likely to be plenty of interest in the Championship.

So, this could be a difficult deal to do, but Cashin appears to be enjoying his football again under O’Neill, and the fact he has built a positive connection with the club could help them see off competition for his signature.

Ultimately, Cashin and Blackburn have big decisions looming, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out - but there are still four games to go, and the player will be determined to maintain his strong form during the run-in.