DONCASTER Rovers manager Grant McCann has confirmed that the club have finalised deals for two new signings at the very start of the 2026 winter window - with another two incoming transfers also lined up as the club seeks to turn around their League One campaign.
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Rovers, who find them in the bottom two of League One ahead of the Boxing Day programme, are to shake up their squad at the start of the new year, with McCann also confirming that four of the club's five current loanees will return to their parent clubs.
Charlie Crew and Damola Ajayi will not be involved in the club's festive fixtures and will head back to Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur, having finished their commitments with Rovers early.
Connor O’Riordan will go back to Blackburn Rovers at the start of the new year, while Toyosi Olusanya will jet back to the States and rejoin MLS side Houston Dynamo in January following the completion of his half-season loan.
On incoming recruitment, McCann confirmed that two signings would be permanent ones - with one being a ‘project' signing who will most likely head back out on loan.
'Two or three' other arrivals next month will be loan recruits, the Rovers chief revealed.
McCann said: "We've got a clear plan of what we need to do in January. Who will leave and who will come in. We're already ahead of the game on that.
"Two players have been agreed and done. One or two (others) are very, very close. We're well ahead of the game. We want to try and get our business done early, and that's the way we're looking.
"Two of them will arrive on the 1st of January.
The other two may be slightly a little bit delayed on that, given the structures around where they're coming from. We're working very hard - number one, to improve us now, and to improve us in the future."
Providing an update on several loan signings at the club, McCann added: "Toyosi's loan is only until January. So that's that.
"We only signed him on a six-month loan to January, so he'll go back to Houston.
"Connor O'Riordan will go back to Blackburn.
"Charlie and Damola will go back to Leeds and Tottenham.
"And Timmy's here (Thimothee Lo-Tutala) until the end of the season. So four of the loans will go back.
"We'll look to replace them, make us more stronger and hopefully have a good 2026.
"Connor's still around. Charlie and Damola have gone back as of today. And Toyosi's here until the 6th or 7th of January."