GARY Bowyer still hopes to add up to four new faces to his Blackburn Rovers squad before the end of the transfer window.

Rovers completed their pre-season schedule with a 3-1 home defeat to Everton on Saturday and Bowyer knows he still needs to add to his squad before the window shuts on September 2.

Rovers start the new campaign at Derby on Sunday and Bowyer wants to get a deal done for Aston Villa’s Barry Bannan in time for that game.

He also has other additions in mind but has been restricted by the incoming Football League fair play regulations this summer and is also concerned about bids coming in for some of his stars in the final weeks of the window.

Asked how many players he would like to bring in, he said: “In an ideal world I’d love to get in three or four new faces, I really would.

“It’s constantly ongoing and will be until the end of the transfer window.

“We’re looking to bring in people wherever we can to make our squad better.

“You look at the quality Everton showed and we’ve got to get some of that in our squad.”

Rovers could also look to strengthen at left back and up front, while they are likely to bring in at least one centre back.

Yann Songo’o is in talks over a deal after a successful trial, while Rovers also considered signing Ian Evatt before Gael Givet’s move to Livorno fell through.

Rovers have agreed a fee with Villa for Bannan but the complication has been agreeing personal terms with the central midfielder, and Bowyer hopes a deal can be reached – wary also of other clubs coming in, as happened with Luke Murphy.

“It’s still ongoing,” he said about Bannan.

“These things take a little bit longer than managers want.

“I saw Harry Redknapp quoted the other day and he wasn’t happy when he lost out on Gary Hooper.

“We’ve just got to keep working hard at it and try to get things over the line.

“If it doesn’t happen then we’ve got other targets that we can certainly aim for.”

It has not been a straightforward summer for Rovers, who have had to shed some of their highest wage earners because of the financial fair play regulations.

“The only sense I can make of it is we have to reduce the wage bill, that’s putting it in simple terms,” Bowyer said.

“It does complicate everybody’s life but it’s a rule that’s been introduced and we’ve got to adhere to it and get over it.

“It is hitting everybody.”

And Bowyer knows that, with the window not closing until September 2, there is always the risk of late bids coming in for his players.

“I don’t think I’m any different to any other manager, we’re all concerned that a bid could come in at the last minute,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if people came in for our players because we’ve got some good players, but our battle is to hold on to them and convince them that what we’re doing here is the right thing.

“It’s crazy that you do all your preparation and you can get to the start of the season and lose some of your players.

“It’s a daft rule for every manager. It needs readdressing because how can we prepare as well as we do and then the window’s still open and someone can nick your players?”

UAE international midfielder Amer Abdulrahman has been training with Rovers but Bowyer says it will not lead to a deal at this stage.

“He’s just going to be here for another couple of days, it was just a look really,” the manager confirmed.