FROM Bellamy to Bentley, Samba to Santa Cruz, and with McCarthy, Nelsen and Olsson throw in too, Mark Hughes proved throughout his reign as Blackburn Rovers manager to be one of the shrewdest transfer-market operators in the club’s modern-day history.

Not only did the best of his signings significantly strengthen his starting line-up, for the large part, they also significantly increased in value too, so much so that when they did eventually leave Ewood Park, they earned the club a very tidy profit.

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Fast forward to the present day, and under very different circumstances, current Rovers boss Gary Bowyer is showing signs of being spoken of in the same breath as Hughes when it comes to astute transfer dealings.

Just like Hughes, and most managers for that fact, not all of his signings have been hits.

But the misses have been restricted to free transfers and loans.

When Bowyer has been given funds to spend, he has used them wisely.

All six of his signings that have required a fee – Corry Evans, Ben Marshall, Tom Cairney, Rudy Gestede, Craig Conway and Shane Duffy – have enjoyed varying degrees of success in a blue and white halved shirt and all six have undoubtedly gone up in value since their arrival at the club.

For instance how much would it now take to prise away Gestede? Thirty or forty times the amount Rovers paid for him, anyone?

With 22 goals in 37 appearances since making his permanent move from Cardiff City in January, it is hard to believe that Bowyer will ever spend a better £200,000.

We should be looking forward to January, then, to see what rabbit he pulls out of the hat next.

Financial Fair Play, or ‘Profit and Sustainability’ as it is to become known, may scupper that prospect.

If it does, then you only have to look back at disastrous reign headed by Steve Kean, and the summer of 2012 in particular, for the reason why.

Untold millions spent and wasted, the club is still suffering the fallout.

And it will for some time to come with ridiculous contracts handed out to players who have left but are still being paid off, and players, like Bradley Orr and Leon Best, who remain.

But if Rovers are hit with a transfer embargo in January, there is still a chance they could make moves in the market.

As it is understood that clubs who find themselves under an embargo will be able to sign players on a one in, one out basis if its squad drops below 24 established players, and providing the player coming in does not earn more than 75 per cent of the monies paid to the player going out.

Even if that is the case, it will make Bowyer’s job difficult.

It will be about managing his squad, but he has shown over these last 18 months to be adept at that.