TONY Mowbray says he is having to be patient in the hunt for new signings.

The Rovers boss has so far added Joe Rothwell from Oxford United and Jacob Davenport from Manchester City as permanent signings.

But while he is working on other lines of enquiry to boost the squad ahead of their return to the Championship, Mowbray explained the loan market in particular is taking time to open up.

However, Mowbray remains hopeful of welcoming some Premier League proteges into his ranks before the start of the new season, as well as making more permanent signings.

“We’re working hard,” said the Ewood Park chief on the challenge of the transfer market.

“My phone never stops ringing for some of our young players and some of them played (at Hibernian on Sunday).

“Most teams want to take their young players through their pre-season with them. Their managers want to look and see how far developed they are. Invariably, like I will probably do, they will think that they probably need a bit more time and go and play some football somewhere.

“There are a few potential loans from some big Premier League clubs to come and hopefully one or two signings that are our players. Hopefully the signings might be a bit more experienced.

“Really we’re just trying to build a decent team that can be competitive in the division this year.”

Mowbray picked a young side to start the first friendly, against Hibernian, on Sunday, including Academy products Scott Wharton, Lewis Travis and Dan Butterworth as well as new signings Jacob Davenport and Joe Rothwell.

And Mowbray revealed he is expecting to organise loan moves for some of them once he has been able to add to his squad.

“The plan was we needed a young team on the pitch with the legs and the athleticism at the start,” he said.

“We’ve just come back from Austria where we’ve been doing a lot of work and a lot of running. Four or five of those lads were right at the front of every physical session and they deserve an opportunity to be around the first team, so we started with a younger side and ended up with a higher quality, more experienced team which ultimately in the second half nicked a couple of goals.

“Some of those players in the first half will go out on loan I think for more experience next season but hopefully the Mulgrews, the Conways, the Bennetts, the Smallwoods, the Dacks will help us have a good season in the Championship.”

He added: “It’s all about being ready in four weeks’ time and that’s what we plan to do and try to integrate the new players in bit by bit and then filter some of the younger ones out for experience and let’s see how it goes.

“I am hopeful that we can get some additions that will improve our team.”