Tony Mowbray has told supporters that there could be January exits should positive conclusions not be reached in contract talks with some of the club’s key players.

Ryan Nyambe, Darragh Lenihan, Joe Rothwell and Ben Brereton all see their deals expire in the summer, though it is understood there is an option in the contract of the Chile international which offers some comfort.

Agreements are yet to be struck over contract extensions however, with chief executive Steve Waggott having revealed talks have reached a ‘stand-off’ with little room for negotiation.

Rovers have worked to implement a wage structure, one they have continued to work within, but would have broken for Adam Armstrong had he committed his future prior to signing for Southampton.

There is confidence that an agreement can be reached with captain Lenihan, but the January window would be the final time that Rovers could command fees for Nyambe, Lenihan and Rothwell, despite Mowbray wanting to keep them at the club.

Rovers are however, yet to receive any offers for the players mentioned.

“If we can’t come to a deal then in the next window they might have to be sold," mowbray said.

“I think as long as there is transparency with the supporters, they have to understand that. We’re not out there actively trying to sell our players but if we can’t do deals with footballers that we would like to keep because they feel they’ve gone beyond our wage structure then good luck to them. As long as we can get the right money for them, we’ll move on.

“The grey area of course is we invest, such as with the Armstrong situation at the moment where in my mind we have to consider the pandemic around that, but in normal circumstances you sell a player for X amount of pounds, you have to get a significant percentage of that to reinvest into the team and continue the cycle of trying to grow the football club.

“With players and contracts, I want to grow this football club with good players competing for as many starting positions as we can.

“But because of what the world has been through the last two years it’s been difficult for us to continue that journey.”

Mowbray has stressed to the players how much he would like them to stay, and the mood in the camp is positive, not least given their positive start to the season.

Negotiations are being handled by Waggott, with Mowbray not wanting to get involved in the money side of things, but he is on board with the wage structure at the club, even if that can be a hindrance to deals being done.

“It’s out of my hands but as long as the players know that I want them at this club, they can improve our team and we can help them to help us, that’s where it stands,” he added.

“If ultimately, and there’s a little bit of this going on at the moment, I’ve spoken to all parties - the players, the CEO - where does the club set its parameters of what it can spend? How much can the top earners of our football club earn?

“Are we going to break our wage structure for this player or that player? Because once you break it for one player, you have to break it for this player or this player.

“We’re not a club that pays this much and once you overstretch the boundaries of where you think you can go, what you’re trying to achieve, you don’t get there and all of a sudden financial situation gets on top of you.

“My view is 'this is what we pay, this is where we are, we don’t pay that'.”