Five-man central midfield shortlist that Bristol Rovers could target this summer
Bristol Rovers could still look to sign central midfielders this summer, and we have looked at five players they could target in the summer transfer window
We’re only a few days away from the transfer window officially opening, which means that Bristol Rovers and other EFL and Premier League clubs will be able to purchase players for a fee.
The Gas have already signed Richie Smallwood and Kofi Balmer, with Ciaran Kelly and Ben Purrington set to follow.
All four will join Rovers on pre-contracts, and with the summer transfer window set to open next week, Steve Evans will have players on his shortlist, who he will want to bid for in the next few months.
Midfield is a position that Evans’ side need to strengthen, given that they currently only have four main options in the two deeper roles - Smallwood, Clinton Mola, Ryan De Havilland, and Ryan Howley, while Shaq Forde is the only out-and-out number ten.
With that said, we’ve created a five-man central midfield shortlist for the Gas, featuring League One players whose contracts expire in 2027 and Premier League youngsters.
Tommy Leigh, 26
Tommy Leigh joined Rovers on Deadline Day, scoring four goals and registering two assists during his loan spell in the second half of the season.
His best moments came against Crewe Alexandra and Shrewsbury Town, scoring a late brace against the former as the Gas secured a crucial 2-1 home win.
Leigh will return to Bradford City this summer, who will be hopeful of reaching the League One play-offs for the second consecutive season.
The 26-year-old has a year left on his contract and the Bantams might want to secure a fee for him either this summer, or in January 2027 to avoid him leaving as a free agent.
If a move is sanctioned, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Rovers come back in for Leigh given how impressive he was in BS7.
His ability to score important goals and play in multiple midfield roles make him an attractive prospect for a number of clubs in League One and League Two.
It might be a case of Leigh spending pre-season at Bradford to see if he can get himself back in Graham Alexander's plans, but if he does end up leaving, Rovers could do a lot worse than signing the attacking midfielder permanently.
Alistair Smith, 27
Physically imposing. A regular in League One. One year left on his current contract. A player that Rovers might look at in the next few months is AFC Wimbledon's Alistair Smith.
He has become a regular in the EFL in the last few years, spending time at Lincoln City and Colchester United before a loan move at AFC Wimbledon became permanent in 2025. He won the League Two play-offs with the Dons in the 2024/25 season, starting in the final against Walsall, which they won 1-0.
One of his teammates on that day was Riley Harbottle, who joined the Gas in January and has established himself as a regular in the defence under Evans.
Smith played 45 times in League One for Johnnie Jackson's side last season, scoring twice and registering five assists as they avoided relegation.
With a year left on his deal, Rovers could be one of a few clubs looking to tempt the physical and experienced promotion-winner away from AFC Wimbledon.
Louis Reed, 28
Louis Reed has played over 330 times in League One and League Two, winning promotion from the fourth tier in the 2023/24 season with Mansfield Town. He has since helped solidify the Stags' status in League One, featuring 41 times in all competitions last season as they finished 10th.
Reed signed a new contract in January, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2027. So, will he play another season for Nigel Clough's side, or will he be tempted by a move away?
The 28-year-old has previously signed for Evans, playing for the Scotsman at Peterborough United in the 2018/19 campaign. He struggled to start regularly in the early stages of the season, but became a more frequent starter between October and December before the manager was sacked in January.
Reed is an ambitious option, but with only a year left on his deal, he is a player that Rovers could keep an eye on.
Rio Kyerematen, 21
I wrote an article yesterday looking at three Tottenham Hotspur youngsters Rovers could look to sign on loan next season, following Yusuf Akhamrich's successful stint in the blue and white quarters. Spoiler alert: Rio Kyerematen was on the list.
The 21-year-old is a box-to-box midfielder who has played for Spurs since he was eight. He has played over 70 times for Tottenham's Under-21s, including 23 in all competitions last season.
He didn't feature against Rovers in the Vertu Trophy in last year's competition. Still, he started the two other group stage matches against Plymouth Argyle and Cheltenham Town, scoring against the latter.
The midfielder also scored seven goals and registered five assists in Premier League 2 last season and was shortlisted for the competition's Player of the Month award twice across the campaign.
Interestingly, on Deadline Day in February, Alisdair Gold - the Tottenham Hotspur correspondent for Football.London said: "The likes of Dante Cassanova, James Rowswell, Rio Kyerematen and Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny will all be hoping to be the subject of late interest as well, although Spurs' lack of depth has required some of them to be on the first team bench in recent weeks."
With no European football for Spurs to contend with next season and Roberto De Zerbi likely to want to bring in several new faces, it could be the perfect time for Kyerematen to enjoy his first taste of senior football on loan.
Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny, 20
Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny is another Spurs youngster who could be an option for Evans in the upcoming window. He's already played at The Mem, registering two assists in the 4-4 draw between Rovers and Spurs' Under-21s in August 2025.
The 20-year-old spent his early career at Chelsea, winning the Under-18 Premier League Cup in 2021/22 before featuring regularly in Premier League 2.
In February 2025, Russell-Denny moved to Spurs, and in 31 appearances across all competitions so far, he has scored six goals and registered nine assists.
He is versatile and can play as a number six, eight, or ten. Similar to Kyerematen, with Spurs likely to bolster their squad depth under De Zerbi, first-team opportunities might be limited for Russell-Denny, meaning Rovers could try to sign him on loan in the summer.
We know that Evans is keen on a few Spurs youngsters after he revealed in February: "Yusuf has got staggering ability, but there's a number of youngsters at Tottenham. I could have brought three on Deadline Day.
"I wish they'd let me do it, but they said one is enough, and the nice thing is like Spurs do. I’ve never had a loanee from Spurs."
Could Kyerematen or Russell-Denny be on Rovers' shortlist in the upcoming transfer window?
