BLACKBURN Rovers manager Owen Coyle has set himself the immediate target of bringing in players who will ‘hit the ground running’ as he attempts to build a squad capable of challenging in the Championship next season.

Coyle has a full in-tray in his office at Brockhall, which includes deciding which out-of-contract stars to offer new deals to and who to let go.

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He has already started to identify potential targets and says he wants players who will be up to speed straight away as he knows he will need to get off to a decent start to appease some sections of the Rovers support.

He said: “First and foremost, the target is looking to get the right players in.

“We want to be competitive in the Championship and, like everybody else, we want to be pushing at the top end of the table.

“Is that realistic? People think it’s not because of where we were last year.

“But I believe it’s a new season, a fresh page, and we’ve got to look to add those players, hit the ground running and take it from there.

“The aim is to get this club back to where we all feel it should be.

“Every manager at every club will tell you the same thing in the Championship, but that’s the aim for us moving forward.”

His predecessor Paul Lambert left the club after failing to receive the assurances he wanted from owners Venky’s about his transfer plans.

So will Coyle have money to spend to bring in the players he wants?

“It (money for transfers) has been touched upon, without going into the fine details because there was that much going on,” he said.

“The important thing was that we understand there will be money available for salaries and whatever else.

“It’s up to us now to utilise our contacts and work hard to see who’s available.

“We want to know it they fit what we need in terms of our dynamic, how we want to play, and then look to move that forward.”

Rovers director Mike Cheston revealed to the Lancashire Telegraph last month that the club will have a £6million shortfall next season.

That’s because, for the first time since relegation from the Premier League in 2012, it no longer will benefit from parachute payments.

But Coyle doesn’t necessarily think that means Rovers will have to sell players.

He said: “Regardless of whether parachute payments end, or whether they don’t end, there’s always a fear for any club.

“Regardless of whether it’s what I would suggest is one of the bigger ones clubs have come into the Championship - a Newcastle or an Aston Villa - if they come calling for some of your players it’s always difficult if the finance is right.

“That’s something we’ll just have to wait to see what happens.

“If they don’t, all good and well, we add to what we’ve got.

“If people come and think, ‘We like him’, and it’s X amount, sometimes you’ve got to wheel and deal.

“We’ll always be open to different scenarios, but in the main we want to add to the existing group we’ve got and we just have to see what comes in the next few weeks.”