Japanese central midfielder Reo Hatate, 28, was reportedly en route to complete a loan move to Blackburn Rovers before Burnley intervened to sign him instead. Burnley, whose ground is 15 miles away from Blackburn's, secured the player, who has been capped 11 times for Japan, on a permanent transfer for a fee of £6.5m plus add-ons. He joins Burnley on a contract that runs until June 30, 2029. In August 2026, reports had suggested his former club Celtic's asking price was around €14.2 million (£12m). His current market value is €10.00m, according to Transfermarkt.