ANTHONY Stokes is set to remain a Blackburn Rovers player for the time being with any potential switch to Scottish top flight side Hibernian a long way off.

Neil Lennon’s newly-promoted side are admirers of Stokes and made an approach to take the 28-year-old on loan in January.

But it is understood that Rovers are not currently entertaining the prospect of paying off the remaining two years of Stokes’ contract - a move that would leave them with just one senior striker on the books in Danny Graham.

And with Hibs’ budget not stretching to a meaningful transfer bid, coupled with Stokes needing to take a significant pay cut to make the move north of the border, any deal at this stage is unlikely.

The Scottish club retain an interest in the frontman but would require Rovers to release Stokes or accept a nominal fee, neither of which is likely while Ewood boss Tony Mowbray begins the early stages of shaping his squad for the League One season.

Easter Road chief Lennon remains an admirer of Stokes and was the man who took him to Celtic in 2010 where the pair worked together for four years.

His 76 goals during that period persuaded Owen Coyle to bring him to East Lancashire but things haven’t worked out in Rovers colours for the Irishman.

He started just twice in the Championship last season, and not since August, and was hampered by personal issues throughout the campaign. He was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence in January for assaulting an Elvis impersonator in a Dublin nightclub – an offence which dated back to June 2013 when he was playing for Celtic.

Mowbray later cited off-field issues as the reason for Stokes’ absence during his time at the club, though he did feature as a substitute in the Good Friday win at Nottingham Forest in his only appearance under the head coach.

Mowbray admits he wants to keep the majority of his under contract players together for next season, although did he reveal that he would listen to offers if the right bids were received.

He has made no secret of his desire to strengthen his attacking ranks next term as Rovers bid for immediate promotion back to the Championship.

He revealed he has been assured of finance to strengthen his ranks by Venky’s following meetings with the owners in India last month.

But departures of some of the club’s fringe players would help further ease the wage bill with Rovers able to spend 60 per cent of their £22m turnover on wages for next season under the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) which governs League One and League Two.