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Bristol Rovers owner Wael al Qadi has sold his majority stake in the club to Kuwaiti businessman Hussain AlSaeed.

AlSaeed has purchased a 55% share of Dwane Sports, the holding company for the club, with Al Qadi keeping 40.5%.

Jordanian Al Qadi bought the League One club in 2016 and took full control in 2020. He will remain as club president with AlSaeed joining as chairman.

Co-owner Samer Al Qadi has a 4.5% stake and the English Football League has already approved the agreement.

"I have been a huge football fan for many years, and it has always been my ambition to own a stake in a club. BRFC is the one club that I most desired to be a part of, due to its great fanbase and future potential," AlSaeed said.

"From this day on, I assure the fans that we will be working tirelessly on the sustainability and growth of the football club.

"Rovers are a club with huge potential that is still untapped, and it is our duty to make sure that we do everything possible to improve the current state."

As part of the deal, all debt owed to Dwane Sports had been capitalised, Rovers said in a statement. "This means that apart from our ordinary trade creditors the club is substantively debt free," it added.

"Over the past few months as discussions have developed it has been clear to me that Hussain and Abdullatif not only have a consistent vision with ours for the club but they also have the expertise and resource to help move us forward quicker.

South Stand stadium works delayed
Elsewhere, the club said that their planned redevelopment of the South Stand at their Memorial Ground Stadium will now not be ready for the start of the new season as first hoped.

The work is to increase the number of seats in the stand to 3,425, however, the delay means the club will start the new campaign with a reduced capacity. They host Barnsley in their first home game on 12 August.

A statement from Rovers said they had been in discussions with the EFL and Barnsley but a reversal of the fixture was not possible.

Season ticket holders in the affected area are to be contacted while the number of away tickets has been limited.

"Moving forward we will continue to review the situation on a match-by-match basis and update supporters as early as possible as to the plans for each fixture," the statement said.

The stand has proved controversial with some local residents, who complained that work had begun before plans were approved.

"The club is continuing to work with local residents and the local planning authority regarding this application. Following some delays, the planning application has been registered by the council and is currently being assessed," Rovers' statement continued.

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Bristol Rovers have signed defender Connor Taylor from Stoke City on a three-year deal.

The 21-year-old, who was previously on loan at Rovers during the 2021-22 season, made 14 appearances for the Potters in the Championship last season.

"We are delighted to welcome Taylor back," Rovers boss Joey Barton said.

"It's no secret that we've been trying to get him back with us sooner - I'm sure he will be worth the wait."

During his loan spell at Memorial Stadium Taylor was a key member of Rovers' promotion winning side, playing in 47 games - of which he started 41 - and scoring three goals for them in League Two.

"Connor is a top player, a great character and all the boys were happy to see him back," Barton added.

"He is a great addition and will strengthen us further as we start our 2023-24 League

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Bristol Rovers have signed free agent defender Jack Hunt on two-year-deal.

The 32-year-old made 26 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday in all competitions last season and helped them earn promotion to the Championship.

"We are really happy to welcome Jack to the squad," Rovers' boss Joey Barton told the club website.

"His experience of getting promoted out of this division as well as playing at a higher level is aligned with our intentions."

He continued: "I am sure he will be a great asset to our group, not only on the pitch but as an excellent character in our dressing room."

Hunt has also played for Huddersfield, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.

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Cheltenham Town have signed wing-back Luciano D'Auria-Henry on a season-long loan from Fulham.

The 20-year-old, who came through the Cottagers' academy, played 19 games in Premier League 2 (U21s) last season.

"I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while now, so I'm ready to crack on and help the team," D'Auria-Henry told the club website.

"I can defend, I can attack and I think I can bring a lot to the team going forward."

D'Auria-Henry is Cheltenham's eighth signing of the summer and he will train with them for the first time on Friday.

He could feature in the Robins' League One match at Portsmouth on Saturday as they aim to claim their first points of the season after three straight league defeats.

"I've had a great time with Fulham, it's a great club," D'Auria-Henry added.

"But I think it's time for a new challenge in senior football so I can push on and really start my career."

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League One club Bristol Rovers have signed Hull City midfielder Ryan Woods on loan until the end of the season.

The 29-year-old featured 27 times for the Tigers last season after joining from Birmingham City.

He has previously had stints with Shrewsbury Town, Brentford and Stoke and has spent time on loan at Millwall.

"Ryan is another player who adds both quality and experience to our group," Pirates boss Joey Barton told the club website.

"I'm sure he will be a great addition creating more competition for places."

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Bristol Rovers have signed former QPR and Bristol City striker Chris Martin on a short-term deal until January.

The 34-year-old had been training with the League One club as a free agent after failing to agree a new contract at Loftus Road earlier this summer.

"We are delighted to get Chris in with us and add another striker to our group," Pirates boss Joey Barton told the club website.

"His presence will further add experience and quality to our squad."

Martin scored four goals in 16 appearances for Rangers during the second half of last season after joining the west London club in February.

Before that, the former Scotland international spent almost two and a half years with Bristol City, netting 17 times in 95 outings.

He is one of the Championship's all-time top scorers, with 114 goals in the second tier for clubs including Norwich City, Crystal Palace, Derby County and Fulham.

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Bristol Rovers have signed midfielder Kamil Conteh from Grimsby Town until June 2027 for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old joined the Mariners last July on a three-year deal from Middlesbrough, where he failed to make a first-team appearance.

He made 29 appearances for League Two Grimsby this season, across all competitions.

Conteh has also been capped eight times by Sierra Leone, making his international debut last year.

Prior to joining Boro, Conteh began his career in Watford's academy and he also had a spell on loan at National League side Gateshead in 2022-23, scoring three goals in 24 games and helping the side reach the FA Trophy final.

"It's been in the pipeline now for a little while, so I'm so pleased to get it over the line, and to get him down here and have him available for Saturday's game," Rovers manager Matt Taylor said.

"He's a player we've admired for a period of time now. I think he adds something to our midfield."

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Bristol Rovers have signed Ipswich's Elkan Baggott, Hull's Harry Vaughan and Nottingham Forest's Brandon Aguilera on loan until the end of the season.

Defender Baggott, 21, came through Ipswich's academy and has made seven senior appearances for the club.

Meanwhile, midfielder Vaughan signs having played 15 games for Hull since joining from Oldham in January 2023.

Costa Rica midfielder Aguilera, 20, joins Rovers after making his Premier League debut earlier in January.

Aguilera has made three first-team appearances for Forest this season, and has scored three goals in seven appearances for the Reds' Premier League 2 side.

Baggott's move to the Memorial Stadium comes after the Indonesia international's return from the Asia Cup in Qatar.

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Bristol Rovers captain Sam Finley and striker John Marquis are two of seven players released by the club this summer.

Finley, 31, has played 121 times for the Gas in three seasons and was made skipper permanently last summer.

He helped the club win promotion on the final day of the 2021-22 season, leading the side in their 7-0 win over Scunthorpe on the final day to seal the final automatic place in League One.

Experienced forward Marquis, 31, scored 17 goals in two seasons at the club. He has scored more than 150 goals in a 15-year career.

Also leaving the club are Josh Grant, Lewis Gordon, James Gibbons, Harvey Greenslade and Ryan Jones.

Rovers are in talks over new deals with Scott Sinclair, Jordan Rossiter and Luca Hoole, while the club have exercised options to extend the contracts of Chris Martin and Jerry Lawrence.

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Bristol Rovers have signed Walsall midfielder Isaac Hutchinson on a three-year deal.

The League One have agreed a fee with the Saddlers that triggered a release clause in the 24-year-old's contract.

The former Brighton academy player has spent the last two years at the Bescot Stadium after joining from Derby County, playing 106 times in all competitions.

He featured in all of Walsall's League Two matches last season, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists.

Neither club has disclosed the fee Rovers have paid for Hutchinson.

“Isaac has proven his ability over the last two seasons with Walsall and, at 24, has even further he can go in terms of his development," Bristol Rovers manager Matt Taylor told the club website, external.

“Isaac will bring even more energy and passion to our midfield and I am looking forward to working closely with him in the coming season and beyond.”

Hutchinson - who has the option of a fourth season in his deal at the Memorial Stadium - added: "I’ve had really good conversations with the manager and everyone at the club, and I’m delighted to join.

“I’ve always known Bristol Rovers is a big club. I’ve played at The Memorial Stadium before and the home fans always create an incredible atmosphere.

"Things like that, as well as the conversations I’ve had, have made it clear to me that the club is moving upwards."