ROVERS are finalising a move for central midfielder Richie Smallwood and the deal could be announced in the next 48 hours.

Smallwood looks set to become the club’s second summer signing after Peter Whittingham joined from Cardiff City earlier this month.

A deal for the 26-year-old is close to being completed with Rovers set to beat off competition from a trio of Championship clubs for the out of contract Rotherham United man.

The move would reunite the holding midfielder with Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray after the pair worked together at Middlesbrough for three years between 2010 and 2013.

Smallwood left Boro in 2014 for the Millers where he achieved promotion from League One via the play-offs in his first season with the South Yorkshire club.

In all, he played 133 times and became fans favourite at the New York Stadium, but was loaned out to Scunthorpe United in the first part of last season after falling out of favour under Alan Stubbs.

But after Stubbs was sacked, and Paul Warne brought in, Smallwood returned to the Millers in January and became a regular in the second half of the campaign – playing the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Rovers in February.

Mowbray cited central midfield as a critical area to add to following the departures of Jason Lowe, Danny Guthrie and Hope Akpan after relegation from the Championship last season.

And it is the area he looks to have prioritised with Smallwood set to follow Whittingham through the doors at Ewood Park.

Rovers are looking to step up their recruitment ahead of the players returning to pre-season later this month and are understood to be working hard on a number of deals as Mowbray looks to plug the gap left by the departure of 11 senior players at the end of last season.

Walsall playmaker Erhun Otzumer, who netted 15 goals for the Saddlers last term, is thought to be on the club’s radar, as is RC Lens midfielder John Bostock.

But Mowbray will also look to add more goals to his squad, with striker Danny Graham, one of only two senior strikers left on the club’s books, the only man to get in to double figures last season.

Meanwhile, ticket prices for Rovers’ pre-season friendly against Morecambe have now been finalised.

The match takes place at the Globe Arena on Friday, July 21 (7.30pm) and is the fourth of the club’s six pre-season friendlies.

Adult tickets for the game are £10, with entry for those 65 and over, and between 18 and 23, priced at £8 and £6 respectively.  Under-18s will be charged £3.

A club spokesman added: “Rovers are awaiting a ticket allocation from Morecambe to sell in advance from Ewood Park.

“Fans will also be able to pay on the evening at the Globe Arena.”