Tony Mowbray revealed Rovers’ out-of-contract players have agreed to sign up for the final nine games – but not knowing his budget for next season restricts talks over extended deals.

Jayson Leutwiler, Richie Smallwood, Stewart Downing, Dominic Samuel and Danny Graham will all play on beyond the June 30 expiry of their current deals, a boost to the Rovers boss’ options at a time when many clubs are struggling to secure extensions.

However, Mowbray says a lack of clarity over next season, means he is unable to discuss the possibility of longer-term deals, making talk of a done deal with Sunderland goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin premature.

While the five will likely have substantially different impacts in the run-in, Mowbray says keeping his group together is important.

“I’ve asked them all if they would sign their extensions to midnight of the last game, and include the play-offs potentially, and they have all agreed. There is a cost issue with the contracted players but I would like them to stay and all finish the season together,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

Downing and Graham have been part of every matchday squad this season, and both have revealed they would be keen to sign up for another year at Ewood Park.

Back-up goalkeeper Leutwiler is yet to feature in the Championship season, and has been second-choice throughout his three years at Ewood.

Rovers will be on the look-out for a new goalkeeper in the summer, with Christian Walton set to return to parent club Brighton, while Canadian Leutwiler could look for pastures new in a bid to secure more regular football.

Scotland international McLaughlin is a long-term target for Mowbray, and is expected to leave the League One side, despite the Black Cats having offered him a new deal.

However, Mowbray says uncertainties over finances leave his hands tied for now on what decisions to make around contracts.

“If I don’t know how much money I’m spending I can’t be throwing it at people,” he said. “Who’s to say there’s not going to be salary caps brought in, or the budget isn’t going to be cut considerably because the businesses in India aren’t functioning as well as they might have been.

“I sit here at this moment, I can’t offer people anything while we don’t have budgets and don’t know how much we have to spend because that’s how you have to work.

“Let’s get to the end of the season, everyone together as we’ve always done, and see where this season takes us.”

Smallwood was an ever-present in the League One promotion contender but has found opportunities limited since the first half of the 2018/19 season.

Samuel meanwhile has battled back from a year out with a knee injury to make three starts this term.

Both were key parts of the League One promotion season and Mowbray says that contribution shouldn’t be overlooked.

He added: “There’s an extra cost, but for me, these players have been through real thick and thin times together and been with a club at a really low period but subsequently really helped them bounce back and overcome that.

“As you’ve seen with Sunderland, Ipswich, Portsmouth, it’s not a given that you go in to League One and you bounce straight back.

“These players really helped us do that and we should finish the season together and see what options we have.

“We don’t have a budget for next year yet so I can’t be throwing money around that we haven’t got to spend.

“I’ve asked them to stay with us until the end of the season, they’ve all agreed to do that and sign those deals and we’ll see where we are at the end of the season.”