Bristol Rovers Issues Statement Announcing Transfer of Former Chelsea and England U21 Star
BRISTOL ROVERS have added a former Chelsea talent to their end-of-year retained list, signifying he is up for loan or transfer.
The League Two club fought hard towards the end of the season to secure a mid-table position in the fourth tier of English football.
Currently, a significant number of first-team players have been made available to interested parties for loan or permanent transfer.
Included in this list is Josh McEachran, a product of the Chelsea academy and ex-England youth international.
This 33-year-old midfielder burst onto the scene in 2010, making his debut in the Premier League and Champions League under manager Carlo Ancelotti.
During that period, he was likened to Spurs and future Real Madrid star Luka Modric for his ability to direct play from deeper positions.
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However, multiple loan spells in the following years have stalled his progress, leading him to drop down the leagues.
Last June, he signed a two-year deal with Bristol Rovers, but now, just halfway through that term, he is available for a summer transfer.
He is joined on the transfer list by six other players, while former Luton Town defender Tom Lockyer has had his contract terminated.
The club released a statement regarding the list, saying: “Manager Steve Evans has met with every player in the men’s first team over the past several days, resulting in these decisions about each player’s future.”
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CHELSEA finds itself in a tough spot, while Nottingham Forest celebrates after becoming yet another team to triumph over the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
It took less than two minutes for the Blues to concede at home when former Strasbourg winger Dilane Bakwa outmaneuvered Marc Cucurella and delivered a cross to Taiwo Awoniyi, who was left unmarked at the back post.
Minutes later, Forest secured a second goal following a reckless shirt pull by Malo Gusto on Awoniyi, with the resulting penalty dispatched straight down the middle by Igor Jesus.
Chelsea created chances, including Enzo Fernandez hitting the post and full debutant Jesse Derry shooting over, winning a penalty just before half-time, which ultimately led to his being stretchered off.
Though Cole Palmer missed the penalty, the team faced boos at half-time once again.
Forest netted a third goal early in the second half, with Awoniyi scoring his second after a low cross from Morgan Gibbs-White allowed an easy tap-in.
Joao Pedro found the net late in the game, but VAR ruled it out once more.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian managed to score with a spectacular overhead kick toward the end.
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The statement concluded that these choices were necessary “as the Club embarks on the journey of building upon a successful conclusion to the 2025/26 season and assembling a team to compete at the top of Sky Bet League Two next season.”
Manager Evans stated: “I want to express my gratitude to every player and staff member for their contributions since I joined The Gas in December. It has been a remarkable effort by the group, and we now look ahead to the new season.
“I will provide more insights on my decisions later this week in a video with BRTV, but I want to acknowledge the support of the Chairman, the Board, and the Club for backing my recommendations.”
This represents yet another challenging chapter in McEachran’s career, which began to falter after he left Chelsea for Brentford in 2015.
He played over 100 matches for the then-Championship club before injuries hampered his time there after four years.
Those injuries continued to affect him during a brief period with Birmingham City between 2019 and 2021, although he gradually became more available after moving to League One side MK Dons.
He then joined Oxford United, playing a crucial role in their promotion to the Championship in 2023, before signing with Bristol Rovers after a season in the second tier.