Tony Mowbray doesn’t foresee a Rovers return for Tosin Adarabioyo next season but for a ‘huge favour’ from Manchester City.

Mowbray ‘would love’ to have the 22-year-old back at Ewood Park next season, but admits ‘not in a million years’ would Rovers be able to get close to a permanent move. And with Adarabioyo in to the final year of his contract at the Etihad, Mowbray admits the defender is coming in to a key part of his career after successive seasons out on loan.

The on-loan defender is set to make his 34th Rovers appearance against West Brom, the club he spent last season with, and his expected departure this summer will leave a huge void that Mowbray will have to fill.

“Ultimately, we couldn’t afford him, that’s the first part of the question. This is why this loan system is really good because not in a million years could we afford Tosin Adarabioyo.

“We’ll wait and see, but I’m not thinking sat here that Tosin will be starting next season with us, unless Man City do us a huge favour of course, I’m not sure that will be the case.”

Rovers have utilised the loan market since promotion back to the Championship, having brought in Christian Walton, Adarabioyo, Harrison Reed and Kasey Palmer.

Reed was a target last summer, again on loan, only for Fulham to put together a better financial package, while Rovers required a significant wage contribution from City to land Adarabioyo.

The defender has made five first-team appearances for City, and is keen to make the grade under Pep Guardiola who has stated that finances could rule out much transfer activity at the Etihad this summer, having struggled defensively.

And Mowbray feels Adarabioyo will be keen to continue playing regular first-team football next term, leaving him to search for possible replacements, while still waiting to learn his budget from owners Venky's

“Adarabioyo, in my opinion, he’s been very good for us. He’s still a young boy learning his trade in such a crucial position. He has wonderful attributes,” Mowbray.

“I hope he’s enjoyed it. We’d love to have him back, I think it’s a bit more complicated than that

“First and foremost, for his career him and his advisors would expect him to be moving on to try and nail down his career in the Premier League.

“Whether that’s with Manchester City, and that’s not for me to say, he would like to be in the Premier League and be in a squad somewhere, or he could go to La Liga or the Bundesliga to get his career going. From our perspective, we’d love to do something with him. At this moment I don’t know Manchester City’s plans.

“Ultimately, we couldn’t afford him, that’s the first part of the question. This is why this loan system is really good because not in a million years could we afford anything to do with Tosin Adarabioyo.

“We’ll wait and see, but I’m not thinking sat here that Tosin will be starting next season with us, unless Man City do us a huge favour of course, I’m not sure that will be the case.”

Adarabioyo is expected to surpass the 36 appearances he made with the Baggies, which included being involved in their failed play-off campaign.

He played much of his football at full back for West Brom, but has been exclusively used in central defence by Mowbray, who saw Adarabioyo as the man to help alleviate last season’s defensive troubles.

“Last year’s loan was really good for him. Speaking to people at West Brom, as I obviously did, he was in his first loan and feeling his way in.

“He was playing at left back, right back, in a three, he played everywhere in that defensive line.

“For us it’s been a lot more structured for him.”