Tony Mowbray says he’s clear in his mind where things stand with Rovers’ transfer targets – but didn’t rule out revisiting deals that had looked to have fallen through.

Daniel Ayala was set to sign earlier this month, but late interest from a club in Saudi Arabia appeared to have ended their hopes. However, the 29-year-old still remains a free agent, giving rise to the prospect that Rovers could reignite their interest for the former Middlesbrough man with a deal having previously been in place.

Rovers have targets in Europe on their radar in the bid to strengthen in defence, with Mowbray happy to stay patient feeling the market will move in favour of the buying clubs as the deadline draws near.

The window for European signings runs until October 5, with 11 more days for domestic deals, but the possibility of a two-week quarantine period for overseas recruits isn’t a concern to Mowbray.

It is understood Ayala would be forced to quarantine should Rovers be given the opportunity to rekindle their interest after spending time outside of the country.

“I’m pretty clear in my mind of where we are with our targets and what happened to them,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph. 

“I think there’s one or two that have got themselves tied up, others are in the process of trying to get things sorted.

“I take each day as it comes, what we do is that when the perception is that one target falls away we move on to the next target. That’s the beauty of having a recruitment department that we’ve invested quite heavily in.

“You don’t then have one target that you throw everything at, if a deal gets too rich you just walk away and move on to the next one. That’s what we’ve been doing.

“We have targets for every position we’re looking to strengthen in and we’ve moved from target to target, but once you make your interested noted the same sort of cycle happens.

“A player you might value at one price, as soon as someone shows an interest that price doubles and you add another 10, that’s what football is. But you have to stick to your own principles and where you value footballers at and then the negotiations begin.

“They’re never easier, they’re generally money against time and there’s still plenty of time in this window so we carry on playing the game.

“Unless you have loads of money, you just pay what they ask for. Transfers are never easy to get done, that’s why you get dozens and dozens of them done on the last day of the window.”

Permanent signings are Rovers’ preference in this window, although a loan move for a central midfielder could be on the cards with Mowbray keen to add in that area.

Rovers have so far brought Thomas Kaminski for an undisclosed six-figure fee, and more similar deals for other European deals are being worked in before the October 5 window.

However, Mowbray admits that deals have proven hard to do in this window, for a number of reasons, with Rovers trying to make their budget stretch for as many targets as possible.

“I’m hoping that we’re closer,” he added.

“We’re counting every penny in our budget to make it go as far as we can.

“Covid has affected things, there’s a lot of footballers around the world who gave up money, they deferred money in salaries, and when a transfer is coming up midway through the repayment of those deferrals, the clubs sometimes aren’t quick to repay that money that’s owed, and it’s difficult.

“I’m sure we’re not the only clubs who have hit these kind of circumstances of trying to sign footballers who are still owed money.

“It then becomes more difficult. Are you just giving up on that money, are you expected to walk away? Those are the sort of scenarios that hold things up a little bit and it become that bit more difficult.

“You understand it from the players’ side, and their agent, so I can’t really tell you where we are.

“We’re waiting, got a few things ticking along, and I hope they drop in during the next few days and we get on with it.”