STEVE Kean insists Rovers are still ‘very active’ in their search for more experience – but believes his new young Portuguese trio are ones to watch ‘for the future’.

The Rovers boss (pictured left) is adamant the additions of Edinho, 18, Paulo Jorge, 20, and Fabio Nunes, 19, have not come at the expense of further ‘tried and trusted’ signings after admitting his squad was still a little short of what was needed.

Kean also revealed he has offered Martin Olsson an extended contract at Ewood Park and is confident the Swede wants to stay in East Lancashire – despite his agent saying the player has handed a transfer request in.

The club are still open to offers for wantaway Steven Nzonzi, as Sevilla wait to conclude a loan deal for him, while Kean revealed there had been interest in forgotten Brazilian Bruno Ribeiro.

Gael Givet’s Rovers future remains shrouded in uncertainty as well, as Kean looks to add another striker and a central defender to the squad, while Junior Hoilett’s move to QPR was formally announced yesterday – with a tribunal expected to settle the fee.

Ahead of tomorrow’s pre-season friendly against AEK Athens at Fleetwood, Kean said: “The young lads are for the future and have great qualities. I expect them to be around and about the first team very soon though. Maybe Edinho will take a little bit longer, but certainly Paulo and Nuno will be around it from the first games.

“We have got a separate fund. We have a development pot where the lads will take time to fully develop. They aren’t going to be measured on games immediately.

“I have been working hard with Shebby (Singh), Derek Shaw and Paul Agnew, working tirelessly to get more players in. I think we need a little bit more experience.

“Even with Nuno and Danny, we are still quite young and need more experience. It was a fact last season, we had an average age of 22 playing in the Premier League and it was tough at times. The objective is to have a very, very good mix to cover all bases.

“For the young guys, if you expect too much too early they are judged straight away before they have finished their development.

“We will be looking to add experience, we are doing that right now. We are very active and we are working really hard to get bodies in.”

Sources close to Olsson have told the Lancashire Telegraph the versatile left-sided player wants to quit Ewood this summer and has already handed in a transfer request.

Kean though insists Olsson has not told him of his desire to leave and is hopeful the player will commit himself to the club long term.

“The way it worked with Martin was when he was away, there was a lot of interest in him,” said Kean.

“I have sat down with Martin and said to him we want him to play. He is getting over a groin operation, is probably not going to be fit for the start of the season, but I have said we want to keep him and want to look at extending his contract. He smiled.

“I think there were clubs who enquired and we said ‘not for sale’.”

Meanwhile, Rovers’ global advisor Shebby Singh has agreed to attend an open floor meeting hosted by the BRFC Action Group on August 11, with a venue to be confirmed.

Supporters who wish to attend are urged to contact the committee when full details are released to express their interest.