BLACKBURN Rovers are pressing ahead with attempts to complete a deal for Kim Bo-Kyung – but new work permit regulations could yet provide a complication.

Rovers made their first two signings of the summer this week when they brought in French duo Fode Koita and Sacha Petshi, and Gary Bowyer says he is ‘working very hard’ to make further signings - despite a transfer embargo that restricts them to free transfers.

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The Rovers boss is attempting to seal a deal for South Korean international Kim, who turned down a new contract at Wigan Athletic following their relegation to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and Reading are also said to have been interested.

Bowyer said: “Kim Bo is a quality player and somebody we saw play ever so well for Wigan last season.

“In the situation that we’re in, when quality players like him become available on a free transfer then we’ve certainly to got to put our hat in the ring.

“But obviously we know that there are certainly going to be other clubs interested in him and we’ve just got to make sure that we’re fighting to try to get his signature.

“It’s ongoing but he’s a fantastic player and he would be somebody that we would love to have in our ranks.”

Securing a work permit - required for all players from outside the EU – may not be straight-forward however.

The FA introduced new rules in May making it harder for players to secure a work permit, in an attempt to reduce the number of non-EU players in English football.

Previous rules stipulated that non-EU players had to have played 75 per cent of their country’s competitive matches in the previous two years, providing that country was in the top 70 of the FIFA rankings.

But the cut-off point has now been changed to the top 50 of the FIFA rankings, and South Korea are currently ranked joint 52nd.

That could mean that Rovers might have to apply for special permission to sign Kim – an appeal that would put to the test the FA’s determination to increase the number of domestic players in the English game.

Kim currently has 32 caps for South Korea and previously played for Cardiff City, who paid around £2.5m to sign him from Japanese side Cerezo Osaka in 2012.