Rovers return from their pre-season training camp on Sunday with the hope of adding new faces to their squad prior to the first friendly at Accrington Stanley.

Jon Dahl Tomasson has had time to assess his squad during the week-long stay in Portugal where a squad of 28 players travelled.

It was an inexperienced group, more than half under the age of 23, 11 with one or fewer starts for the first-team, while 13 of the 28 are products of the club’s Academy.

While homegrown players will be a key focus of the club’s model moving forward, Tomasson has outlined the need for ready-made players to add to his young group in the wake of departures of key players Ryan Nyambe and Joe Rothwell, as well as captain Darragh Lenihan.

Progress on potential incomings is understood to have been made, with Rovers hoping to get the deals done next week in their quest to find the right balance to their squad ahead of the first friendly which comes at the Wham Stadium on July 9.

Director of football Gregg Broughton has been with the staff in Portugal, but will return to the UK ahead of the squad, with the likelihood of closing deals early next week.

Gaps have emerged in the squad during a summer of departures, and it is understood that up to six new players will be targeted.

Rovers are looking to strengthen their midfield ranks, with extra creativity thought to be high on the wishlist.

Domestic options are also on the radar, with Rovers having added to their recruitment department earlier this month with analysts brought in from Oxford United and Stockport County.

Broughton outlined that Rovers have a ‘healthy budget’, with room for permanent signings, with the the director of football and head coach Tomasson expected to use their knowledge of the Scandinavian market to target new players, work permits allowing.

Tomasson left Malmo in December, after delivering back-to-back league titles for the club, and sources in Sweden believe he could look to raid his former club for new recruits in this window.

The transfer window closes on September 1, by which point Rovers will have played seven Championship fixtures, with the new campaign to get under way earlier than usual on Saturday, July 30.

A wait for signings is nothing new for Rovers, with Leighton Clarkson the first arrival last summer which came after the start of the season.

Teenager Ethan Walker was the only new face added to the squad that travelled to Portugal, but the club are working to secure new signings who would be expected to arrive in the lead-up to the Stanley friendly, the first of five close season matches.

Rovers’ summer recruitment was under way prior to Tony Mowbray’s departure, led by head of recruitment John Park who has since left his position at the end of his contract.

Identified targets have been tinkered with due to the demands of Tomasson’s style, with Rovers expected to play a high intensity game under the Danish head coach.

As reported earlier in the week, Rovers haven’t had any contact from Serie A side Salernitana regarding Ben Brereton, contrary to reports in Italy that said a move for the Chile international was close.

Elsewhere, Rovers have interest in Malmo defender Anel Ahmedhodžić, who worked under Jon Dahl Tomasson, but the chase for the Bosnia international is complex.

The 23-year-old finished the season with Bordeaux, who had a 4m Euro permanent option in the deal to sign the defender. They had until June 30 to trigger that clause, but their relegation, and subsequent financial difficulties, are set to see him return to the Swedish club.

Malmo took up the option in the contract of Ahmedhodžić, ensuring that he will be under contract to 2024 to boost his transfer value, but they don’t expect him to feature for the club again.

A host of clubs across Europe have been linked with Ahmedhodžić, who has previously spent time in England with Nottingham Forest, while Sheffield United are thought to be leading the race for his signature.