Tony Mowbray wants new additions to bring out the best in his current Rovers squad.

Rovers are waiting to make their first signings of the summer, but already have 20 players under contract for next season.

Mowbray made 12 additions to his squad last summer but is looking at around half that number this time around in a bid to add more quality to his ranks.

The boss wants to give last season’s players a chance to impress in the Championship next term, but knows there is a need to add to his group.

He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I won’t be bringing anyone in to replace any of the lads who did so well last year.

“I want to bring them in to compete with them and ultimately if they get in the team infront of the players that did so well last year then that’s competition, that’s football and that’s what we have to create – competition in the team.

“I think we had that last year, yet this is another level up so we have to improve the quality all of the time and not just the numbers so the competition becomes even greater.

“If the players from last year can’t up their game then they will probably find themselves behind the talent that comes in.

“The job is for the talent to come in and stimulate, inspire, the players to push on to the next level because those coming in have probably proven themselves at Championship level.

“Our players have to then push on if they are to get in the team.”

Rovers are hopeful of securing extended stays of experienced pair Danny Graham and Craig Conway to further add to their numbers.

The likes of League One player of the year Bradley Dack, January recruit Amari’i Bell and goalkeeper David Raya are short of experience in the second tier.

That is something Mowbray will look to address, but young, hungry players with potential to kick on, such as Dack, a £750,000 signing from Gillingham last summer, are also on his wishlist.

That could see him use his knowledge of League One to bring in the better quality players from that level.

Mowbray added: “I don’t want to give myself a problem of having too many players. We’ve got a team that was pretty successful that I want to support and look after, I want to give an opportunity to, but I have to strengthen them so that on the training field they can feel the extra quality and talent that’s there which is marrying up.

“For instance, someone like Bradley who did well for us and could stand out on any given day, my job is to try and bring quality in to the club so that Bradley has to push on again if he wants to shine next year because the quality of the players around is just as good, if not better, than him.

“So if he wants to be the shining light then he has to push his career even further on because the players coming in are going to be equally, if not more, talented than him.”