TONY Mowbray looks set to miss out on bringing key target Cedric Kipre to Ewood Park, with West Brom closing in on the centre half.

The 23-year-old is expected to agree personal terms at the Hawthorns after their first choice defensive target, former Rovers stopper Shane Duffy, opted to join Celtic on a season long loan from Brighton.

Rovers are understood to have agreed a fee of £900,000 with Wigan Athletic's administrators, after resisting stretching to the seven-figure pricetag initially set.

But they were left playing a waiting game as the Frenchman favoured a move to newly promoted West Brom, but was caught in a chain until Duffy's future was finalised.

As well as the chance to play in the Premier League this season, personal terms had also proved a sticking point for Rovers following discussions with the player's representatives.

But Kipre was not the only defender on Mowbray's wanted list and he continues to work round the clock with his recruitment department to strengthen the squad.

The Rovers boss had hoped to make progress and get at least one of his targets over the line this week, but said: "It’s never quite as easy as that. I think we’ve got a level of agreement potentially with another signing but experience tells me the fine details of contracts at this level are difficult.

“Unless you are a club where money is no problem and you just get the job done, every pound we spend is important to us.

“We are moving on with a few options and hopefully for our supporters the news will be good over the next week or two and the team will be strengthened.

"Things are moving on, things are getting a bit closer and we’ll let you know when we sign somebody."

Rovers plan to bring in two new central defenders this summer, and that is likely to see the departures of Derrick Williams and Charlie Mulgrew.

Williams has Championship interest in the form of Swansea City, and Rovers would recoup a fee for the 27-year-old in the final year of his Ewood Park deal.