Blackburn Rovers boss Gary Bowyer is hopeful that he will soon be able to announce his first capture of the summer.

However, Everton’s 20-year-old striker Chris Long, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Brentford, is not on Bowyer’s radar and will not be heading to Ewood Park.

Bowyer said of his plans to strengthen the Rovers squad: “It’s ongoing. It’s 24/7 for us all at the moment in terms of getting players and the possibility of a couple of signings.

“Teams are back for pre-season training now so that makes it a little easier because they’re becoming more active in the market. Players that we’ve targeted, there’s been a bit of an inroad in terms of the possibility of a loan or two.

“We’re working very hard and hopefully we can get somebody in very soon.”

It is anticipated that Rudy Gestede will be sold before the transfer window closes in just over six weeks’ time but for the moment the striker remains a Rovers player.

The 26-year-old has indicated that he wants to sign for a Premier League side this summer and Watford have had a bid, believed to be in the region of £5million plus performance related add-ons, rejected by Rovers.

Norwich City have also been linked with a player who has scored 32 Championship goals in 50 starts and ten appearances from the substitutes bench for Rovers following his permanent transfer from Cardiff City in January 2014.

Gestede is currently recovering from a knee injury and did not travel with the first-team squad earlier this week to Portugal where they are involved in a pre-season training camp.

Blackburn are 15/2 to be promoted from the Championship in the 2015/16 season and 6/4 to win their first game of the season on 8th August against Wolves.