Bristol Rovers hit with brutal double transfer blow as ex-Spurs and West Ham starlets to move elsewhere
Two of Bristol Rovers’ loan targets are set to move elsewhere as the club’s search for a striker goes on.
Bristol Rovers seem set to miss out on two prospective loan signings from Cardiff City, with striker Kion Etete set to join League One rivals Bolton Wanderers on loan and 19-year-old forward Michael Reindorf close to completing a temporary move to Notts County.
A social media report from journalist Darren Witcoop claims that the Trotters will sign the 23-year-old Etete until the end of the season, beating Charlton Athletic and the Gas to his signature, while Sky Sports claim that youngster Reindorf, who had been linked with a move to the Memorial Stadium, will be heading to League Two promotion hopefuls Notts County instead. New manager Inigo Calderon will have to look elsewhere for reinforcements as Rovers looks to stave off the threat of relegation to League Two.
Etete, formerly a youth prospect at Tottenham Hotspur, joined Cardiff in 2022 and scored six goals in 56 appearances for the Bluebirds but has yet to make a senior appearance this season after a lengthy battle with his fitness following a hamstring injury. Reindorf, who began his youth career with West Ham, has made just two senior appearances for the Cardiff.
Rovers’ search for a striker goes on
The moves have yet to be confirmed but it appears that Bristol Rovers will have to find other targets as they try to bolster a front line which has struggled for goal, especially away from home – the Gas have managed just two goals in their last eight matches on the road.
The situation is worsened by a long-term injury to Promise Omochere, who tore his hamstring on New Year’s Day and isn’t expected to be back in action until April. The loan market is likely to be Rovers’ best bet of finding a replacement, with spending money believed to be thin on the ground following a summer overhaul.
There are also reports linking 30-year-old forward Jevani Brown with a departure, with League Two sides Gillingham, Colchester United and Fleetwood Town allegedly interested in a move for a player who spent the first half of the season on loan at Notts County before he was recalled on 18 January.
The club are also in the market for defensive reinforcements, with Barrow’s Theo Vassell among the players linked with a move to the Memorial Stadium. Veteran midfielder Romaine Sawyers is the only player to have been signed in the winter transfer window so far.
Etete and Reindorf set to impress elsewhere
The 6’6” Etete had been seen as an ideal addition to the Rovers squad, with his physicality married to an impressive goal-scoring record at youth level, but play-off chasing Bolton will now get the chance to see if they can help the former Northampton Town and Cheltenham Town loanee to get his career back on track.
Reindorf, who was snapped up by Cardiff after being released by Norwich City at the end of the 2023/24 season, is an unproven prospect but scored twice on a short-term loan move to Kettering Town while he was still on the Canaries’ books.
The Gas will next be in action on Tuesday evening when they take on one of the other disappointed sides who had been in pursuit of Etete’s signature, Charlton Athletic, at The Valley. Rovers go into the game in 18th place in League One, with seven points separating them from the relegation zone.