Doncaster Rovers transfer news: League One side add two new faces with more to come
Doncaster Rovers have wasted no time making their first two signings of the winter – although only one will go straight into the first team.
And they are hopeful another couple of additions are not far behind with defender Connor O'Riordan's loan cut short and Toyosi Olusanya also expected to return to his parent club.
Although the transfer window technically opened on New Year's Day, with no players registered on the bank holiday, January 2 is effectively the first day of trading.
And the League One strugglers have acted by signing Northern Ireland Under-21 internationals Derby County's Darren Robinson and Barnsley's Bayley McCann.
Both are permanent signings on two-and-a-half year deals but whereas McCann, son of manager Grant, will be loaned back to Alfreton Town, where he finished 2025, midfielder Robinson goes into the squad which hosts Luton Town on Saturday.
Robinson joined Derby from Dungannon Swifts – for whom he made his debut as a 15-year-old – four-and-a-half years ago, but never made the breakthrough despite twice being named their scholar of the year. He played just eight minutes (plus stoppage time) of league football for the Rams, back in April 2022, and his only other senior appearances came in the Football League Trophy when Derby were in League One.
He has had loans at Hartlepool United and St Patrick's Athletic. He played for Pats at Besiktas in this season's Conference League, and made his last appearance for them on November 1. Derby allowed him to train with Rovers ahead of the move.
The Conference League outing was in only start, with all eight League or Ireland appearances coming from the bench.
He turned 21 last week.
McCann, who can play in defence or midfield "will be more of a development player and we'll add him to the sort of Sam Straughan-Brown, Will Flint, Bobby Faulkner, Kasper Williams – that type of group that will have a big future at this football club," according to his dad.
Before his loan at Alfreton, he spent time with their Conference North rivals Peterborough Sports earlier in the season.
The pair are unlikely to be the last signings, with Doncaster exposed at both ends of the field since a flying start to the season faded away badly with one win in 17 league games dropping them to 23rd in the division.
"We're very close on a couple (more) as well," said McCann Snr. "I'm hoping over the next two or three days we'll have a bit more indication on that."
Although Robinson's addition will be welcome, he is yet to score a senior goal and it is there, as well as in defence, where Rovers have been most found lacking in recent months.
"We're one of the best teams in the league in terms of creating opportunities," stressed McCann. "We're definitely in the top six in all the statistics that we look at."
Despite that, only Port Vale and Exeter City have scored fewer than Doncaster's 15 goals since they went joint top of the table on September 6 – and the other two have both only played 16 times. Their 36 conceded is easily League One's worst in that period.
Centre-back O'Riordan started 18 of Doncaster's first 20 league games this season but returned to Ewood Park during Christmas week because Blackburn manager Valerien Ismael wants to get him up to speed as soon as possible to play for the Championship side.
Striker Olusanya has not scored since joining on loan from Houston Dynamo, and his only starts have come in cup competitions. He is expected to be loaned out again.
"T's actually been really good the last week or so since he's come back from his injury," said McCann. "I said 'I thought about involving you (on Thursday)', but I just thought it was important I keep my players – the ones that are going to be here - to be on the bench and try and impact the game today.
"He's been really unfortunate. I think what you'll see in the second half of the season is he'll probably go somewhere and score 15 goals for somebody."