TONY Mowbray believes Rovers are closing in on Fleetwood full-back Amari’i Bell and says the hold up isn’t down to the player.

Rovers have agreed a fee with this weekend’s opponents for the 23-year-old but the Ewood boss isn’t prepared to be kept waiting for too long to seal the deal.

Rovers travel to Fleetwood this weekend and Mowbray said he would have no problem coming up against his transfer target, but is hopeful a deal can be concluded before then. 

“Are we getting closer to a left-back? I think so,” he said. “Without making any commitments there’s nothing conclusively done but I can feel it tip-toeing towards a conclusion.

“I’m also mindful that if the final discussions don’t go as we feel are right then we will just walk away.

“I want to try and do this job and get what I feel is the right value for money rather than just keep throwing money at things.

“I’m happy to walk away from any deal if I don’t feel that we are getting value for money which is why it’s stalling a little bit and we will see where it goes.

“I’m happy enough.”

Fleetwood boss Uwe Rosler admitted earlier this week the final decision on any move would be Bell’s, though Mowbray says the hold-up isn’t of the player’s making.

The Ewood chief added: “In the defence of the player, it’s not the player.

“The player is pretty adamant where he wants to go and play his football, it’s more complicated than that.

“I would make it clear it’s not the player stumbling around saying he wants this and that, all the personal stuff is agreed and done.

“That fits well within our structure and I have no complaints and that’s not the hold-up.

“The hold-up is something that I don’t want to discuss but we’re tip-toeing towards it and I’m pretty sure it will get sorted and the right thing will happen for everyone.”

Derrick Williams has played all 41 league games in which Mowbray has overseen at Rovers and was the club’s player of the year last term.

But having allowed Sam Hart to join Rochdale on loan, Mowbray is keen to add competition to Williams.

“We’ve got a left-back who has been fantastic for us all season, who defends brilliantly, wins headers, passes forward but I just feel that he’s the only left back and we don’t fall down on an injury to a key player and don’t have the cover,” Mowbray said.

“I don’t feel as though we could have played Sam for 20 games on the bounce and got the same level of performance.

“We’re just trying to protect the football club going forward.

Bell has continued to feature for Fleetwood despite Rovers’ interest, playing 90 minutes in last weekend’s win at Southend United and the FA Cup replay at Leicester City in midweek.

And Mowbray said he would have no qualms about coming up against the former Birmingham youngster tomorrow should a deal not be struck.

He added: “We’re all professionals and while he’s their player and they are paying his salary and they want to play him then I have no issues with that.

“That’s their call while he’s their footballer.

“He’s a decent player and we have to be mindful if he does play against us of how we set our team up .

“It doesn’t concern me if he plays or not.”