Blackburn Rovers were on the verge of signing Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate on loan from Celtic on deadline day, but their arch rivals, Burnley, had other plans.

According to talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Japanese midfielder Hatate was on his way to signing for Blackburn on loan from Scottish club Celtic for the season until Burnley caught wind and chose to pay around £6.5 million, plus add-ons, for the 28-year-old at the last minute.

Blackburn had a quiet summer transfer window, bringing in only three new players, with Hatate being their fourth and by far the most experienced, but Tony Mowbray’s side have now seen their bitter rivals derail their plans at the last minute.

Burnley hijacked Blackburn Rovers’ loan attempt for Celtic Reo Hatate in a £6.5 million deal.

Hatate came up through the ranks at Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale and, after two years in and around the first team, moved to the United Kingdom with Celtic in January 2022, joining the likes of Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Tomoki Iwata in Glasgow.

The midfielder scored 33 goals and assisted 31 in 191 games across all competitions during his time at Parkhead, and with Martin O’Neil overhauling the club’s midfield this summer, he was free to depart.

Blackburn had signed an exciting loan agreement for the 11-cap Japan international, who was on his way to Ewood Park to sign a year’s contract, but Burnley stepped in at the last minute and rerouted his course 15 miles down the road to Turf Moor.

Nicky Hayen’s side will pay roughly £6.5 million plus add-ons for Hatate, and after a slow start to their Championship season, they will be hoping to see an immediate effect from the former Celtic star.

Why Burnley derailed Blackburn Rovers’ Reo Hatate agreement

Burnley had an intriguing summer, losing several key players like Zian Flemming, Jaidon Anthony, Maxime Esteve, Martin Dubravka, and Loum Tchaouna, all of whom played significant roles for the Clarets in the Premier League last season.

Florentino and Lesley Ugochukwu followed them out the Turf Moor exit doors, leaving a large void in the middle of the park.

Reo Hatate Celtic stats (all competitions)

Appearances

191

Goals

33

Assists: 31

Yellow cards.

14

While the Clarets still have Hannibal Mejbri, Josh Cullen, and Josh Laurent, as well as the arrival of Lille’s Ugo Raghouber, Hayen decided they were still lacking in that area and approved Hatate’s transfer.

It would be remiss to ignore the possibility that Burnley also wanted to directly ruin Blackburn’s transfer plans in the final stages, and while this would not have been the only factor, it is certainly possible that it was considered by those at Turf Moor when they decided to hijack the deal.

How did Burnley and Blackburn Rovers fans respond to Reo Hatate’s hijacking move?

After Burnley scuppered Blackburn’s ambitions for Hatate, fans from both teams took to social media to offer their thoughts and opinions on the news.

https://x.com/TownleyHatTrick/status/2095216498822254701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2095216498822254701%7Ctwgr%5E7e12e966cb18c7f62577743fa5c3b26d60fd5edd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffootballleagueworld.co.uk%2Fburnley-scuppered-blackburns-transfer-plans-with-late-65m-celtic-swoop%2F

This Blackburn supporter does not believe a loan for Hatate was ever considered, and given their financial difficulties, a £6.5 million transaction was never an option.