Burnley Celtic swoop shocks Blackburn Rovers with £6.5 million deal

Burnley have swooped in at the last minute to sign Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate from Celtic on a season‑long loan, paying roughly £6.5 million plus add‑ons, after Blackburn Rovers appeared set to complete the deal on deadline day in the English Championship. The deal left Blackburn stunned.

Burnley's midfield motives

Burnley endured an interesting summer, losing key stars such as Zian Flemming, Jaidon Anthony, Maxime Esteve, Martin Dubravka and Loum Tchaouna, creating a big vacancy in the middle of the park. Manager Nicky Hayen believed the squad remained short in that area and sanctioned the move for Hatate as a result. The Japanese midfielder, who has 11 caps for Japan, offers experience after scoring 33 goals and providing 31 assists in 191 games for Celtic.

Consequences for both clubs

Blackburn Rovers were closing in on an impressive loan deal for the 28‑year‑old, who had been praised for his pedigree and would have been their fourth summer signing. The Rovers’ plan was scuppered when Burnley diverted Hatate’s route fifteen miles down the road to Turf Moor. The transfer gives Burnley a seasoned Japan international to bolster a midfield lacking depth, while Blackburn miss out on a player with proven quality.

Action images By  James Pennington AM GMT+1 James is a Stoke City fan, born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent. He graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2025 with a 1:1 (Hons) in Sports Journalism, and began his Journalism career with shortly after.

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