Tony Mowbray will fly out to India today to meet owners Venky’s for discussions over next season’s budget.

Mowbray, along with chief executive Steve Waggott and finance director Mike Cheston, will travel to Pune for week-long meetings with the Rao family.

Rovers are funded on a benefactor model, with the owners the sole investors in to the club which lost almost £17m in the last financial year. Around £8m was spent on transfer fees last summer as Rovers secured a 15th placed finish, and while Mowbray is eager to push for a top six finish next season, he will learn the owners’ ambitions in their upcoming meetings.

The boss said: “The owners will decide where they are going to set the numbers, they are the people who send the money over.

“I will review the season with them that we’ve just had, how it went compared to last summer.

“Then we’ll talk again about next season and their ambition, their expectation and I’ll tell them honestly where we are as a team and what we feel we can achieve with what we get.

“We have to go there and talk through what we think and then Steve (Waggott) has to manage those numbers.”

Rovers made their first moves in to plans for next season with the publishing of their retained list on Wednesday.

Goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler, who started the final four matches of the 2018/19 season, saw the 12-month option in his previous deal taken up to keep him under contract at Ewood Park until 2020, while defender Paul Downing is to be released.

The club remain in talks with out-of-contract pair Jack Rodwell and Craig Conway whose current deals are set to expire at the end of next month.

Ben Gladwin, who has suffered a setback in his return from long-term injury, is also in discussions to remain at the club to continue his rehabilitation with the club.

Mowbray has worked hard to implement a strong recruitment department at the club which has seen several members of staff, including the manager and his assistant Mark Venus, travel to the continent to watch identified targets.

The boss has also stated that under contract players could leave as part of the summer transfer business. But Mowbray says everyone will be given an opportunity in pre-season and not forced off.

He added: “You have to be careful that you don’t write people off because you might need them.

“We are trying to plan and prepare and be ready for next season.

“Recruitment is the biggest thing.”