Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers 'close to lifting transfer embargo'

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 01 August 2015

Blackburn Rovers managing director Derek Shaw says that the club are "getting nearer and nearer" to lifting their transfer embargo.

Blackburn Rovers managing director Derek Shaw has said that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" as the club edges closer to lifting its transfer embargo.

Rovers have not been able to sign anyone for a fee since being placed under the embargo, along with fellow Championship sides Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, in January.

Yesterday they mutually terminated the contract of goalkeeper Jake Kean and sold striker Rudy Gestede to Aston Villa, and Shaw believes that they are close to lifting the restriction.

"Jake is the last of the players who were surplus to requirements and who [manager Gary Bowyer] wanted to move on," Shaw told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"It's been a two-and-a-half year project, basically, going back to your [Danny] Murphys and [Gael] Givets, and Jake is the last one.

"The salaries of the players that have remained are much more under control but, while it doesn't mean that everything has ended, because there are settlement periods with a lot of these players, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel."

So far this summer, Blackburn have only been able to sign two free agents - Sacha Petshi and Bengali-Fode Koita.

"We're still under an embargo but we're getting nearer and nearer to the point where we will be trading within the rules and we'll come out of the embargo," added Shaw.

Blackburn, who finished ninth in the Championship last term, begin their 2015-16 campaign next Saturday with a home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.