Blackburn Rovers are about to add Ryotaro Ito to their squad, with the Japanese midfielder’s move after a three year stint at Sint-Truidense now almost a done deal.
The 28-year-old has already completed his medical and should put pen to paper on Wednesday. That is according to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who says everything is now in place for the free transfer.
Medical done – signing comes next
Tavolieri reports Ito completed his medical tests on Monday, clearing one of the final hurdles before becoming a Blackburn Rovers player.
The midfielder is now expected to sign his Rovers contract on Wednesday. Barring any very late surprise, Blackburn have got their man.
Ito arrives at Ewood Park with plenty of experience from Belgium. He has spent the past three seasons with Sint-Truidense and played regularly throughout that period.
His numbers also took quite a jump last season. Ito finished the 2025/26 campaign with 10 goals and five assists from 35 appearances. That was comfortably his most productive season since moving to Belgium.
His game is mainly about what he can do with the ball. Ito is a small, technical attacking midfielder who likes finding space between the lines. He can create chances, play the final pass and get himself into scoring positions.
The defensive side isn’t really his strength though. He isn’t really physical and won’t offer Blackburn huge numbers of tackles or dominate duels. In simple terms, Rovers are signing someone to create and contribute around the opposition box.
Sint-Truidense wanted to keep him
The fact Blackburn are getting Ito for free shouldn’t be confused with Sint-Truiden simply deciding they no longer needed him. It was quite the opposite to be fair.
Belgian reports had explained earlier this year that Sint-Truidense wanted to extend his contract. They were still hoping to convince him to stay as late as March.
Ito had other ideas. He had already indicated he wasn’t planning to renew and wanted to take the next step in his career. So Sint-Truidense therefore faced a choice. They could try to cash in during his final months or keep an important player for the rest of the season.
They chose the latter and ultimately lost him for nothing. Ito had reportedly hoped for an opportunity in Spain, Italy or Germany after becoming a free agent. That move didn’t arrive during the summer. Blackburn have now stepped in instead.
After his medical was completed on Monday, there shouldn’t be much left to sort out. Wednesday is expected to bring the signature and make Ito a Rovers player.
