Tony Mowbray is targeting young, hungry players who see Rovers as a step-up in their career during the summer window.

Much like last summer when signing the likes of Bradley Dack, Dominic Samuel and Richie Smallwood, Mowbray is looking to construct a squad capable of building for a brighter future at Ewood Park.

The Rovers boss is currently in India meeting with owners Venky’s to discuss his budget for next season, but says there are levels of targets drawn up dependent upon what level of funding he receives.

Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I’ll be going to India and humbly asking what their aspirations are this year, humbly asking for some funding to try and support and bring in some players that will accrue in value so they don’t see the spend they see the potential of players growing in value, creating a value in the squad and the group.

“For me that has to be in scoring goals and helping us win games and playing football, not a sale value at the other end, but as with any business there has to be a sale value, not just throwing money at it which goes down the drain.

“I would like to sign some players around that age of 22, 23, 24 years old that have good athleticism and good technique and see Blackburn Rovers as a huge step-up in their career and being a vehicle that can potentially take them towards the Premier League.

“I’m also very conscious of how tough this division is having managed a good few years in it.”

Rovers spent around £1.3m last summer bringing in the likes of Dack and Samuel from Gillingham and Reading respectively, while Amari’i Bell was signed permanently from Fleetwood Town in January.

Mowbray already has over 20 players under contract next season, with Danny Graham and Craig Conway considering fresh offers from the club.

While Mowbray knows that spending doesn’t always equate to success, he admits being able to spend money on players does increase the chances of getting deals right.

He added: “I think we’ve got some good players.

“The recruitment last summer went okay for us. We got quite a few right, some didn’t work out as happens when you bring in up to 11 or 12 players, you can’t get every single one spot on for whatever reason.

“We got some spot on and the message this summer will be that we need to recruit again.

“We’ve lost a few, a couple out of contract and some offers that we will wait on and see what the decisions on those offers are, but I think we need to strengthen the squad.

“That doesn’t mean experienced players on big salaries, it means players that we believe can fit in to this group and bring the assets and qualities from their games to our team whether that be speed out wide, guaranteed goals up front which is difficult to do, tenacity in midfield, passing in midfield, competition in the full-back areas or another central defender, I think we need to do that.

“As I said last year if they are all going to be free transfers then the chance of getting them right is less. If you spend money on players that you really like and are taking a good player out of a club by spending some money then you have a better chance of getting them right.

“That’s what we hope to do.”