BLACKBURN Rovers head of recruitment Tommy Johnson has been on spying missions north of the border ahead of Paul Lambert’s planned summer recruitment drive.

But one player who could be on his way out of Ewood Park is under-21s midfielder Hyuga Tanner.

Rovers have been liked with versatile Celtic and Scotland star Charlie Mulgrew who is set to become a free agent in the summer.

But Johnson says the 29-year-old is just one of a number of potential targets.

“I have been coming up watching games all season, not just Celtic,” Johnson, a former team-mate of Rovers boss Lambert’s at Celtic, said to the Evening Times in Glasgow.

“I will sit down with the gaffer and we will discuss players for the summer. Probably from now until the end of the season we will be going around a lot of clubs watching games.

“I know he (Mulgrew) is out of contract like a lot of other players. I don’t know what his situation is. There are a lot of players out of contract. We just sit down and go through them.

"If they fit our remit, our wage structure, if their personality fits into the club and, ultimately, if the gaffer wants them then we will see what happens in the summer.”

Australia youth international Tanner, meanwhile, admits he could soon looking for a new club.

The 18-year-old, who has been with Rovers since he was 14, said to FourFour Two: “I will be looking for other clubs soon if I don’t get offered a new deal.

“My aim is to play some league games and get myself noticed. I feel like I’m ready but I’ve just not been getting the chances here. Hopefully a good move will do me the best.”

Lambert has brought in seven signings since taking over the Ewood Park reins.

But he has also handed Darragh Lenihan his chance and told the club’s other young players they will get the opportunity if they prove they are good enough.

“He’s brought in staff and it’s been all right,” Tanner said.

“The tempo has risen and it’s been more professional around the club. It’s just hard to break into the first team because there’s just so many first-team players there that they’ve signed.”