Blackburn Rovers boss talks summer recruitment and goalkeepers amid Jon McLaughlin interest

Reports on Sunday linked Mowbray’s Blackburn Rovers with a swoop for Sunderland goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin, who is out of contract on June 30th.

The uncertainty around player contracts is continuing as the EFL try and plot a return to action.

League Two clubs have already voted to curtail their season, but the Championship is eager to resume and in League One, Sunderland are one of six clubs trying to prevent an early conclusion.

McLaughlin is one of over a 1,000 players out of contract next month, and though the EFL have proposed short-term extensions and a delay to the date on which clubs can approach free agents, much remains uncertain.

Blackburn’s current number one goalkeeper, Christian Walton, is on loan from Brighton, while back-up Jayson Leutwiler will be out of contract on June 30th.

Mowbray is plotting his next moves and has conceded that free agents and loans could be key.

“What’s the financial situation of every club going to be when we get back to work,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Are we going to have to sell players, are we going to have to develop our own?

“We have some gaping holes in goalkeeper and at centre half with players who are on loan. Are those players already at the club? How are going to recruit people if we need to replace them, are we just going to take more loans or free transfers?

“These are the questions but there are no answers because we don’t know how long it’s going to go on for.

“Every club will be in the same situation.”

McLaughlin revealed in January that there had been no subsequent discussions on his future, after Stewart Donald said in September he would revisit the situation and urged the player’s agent to be ‘realistic’.

No agreement has yet been reached, though McLaughlin recently said that he still would like to stay.

“We haven't made any plans, the club you are at is always the first priority,” McLaughlin said.

“I have moved clubs a number of times but that was because the opportunities elsewhere were better.

“Sunderland is a massive club. If and when we can start getting promoted, you'd have to go a long way to be playing for a bigger club. I've enjoyed my time. It's still a club where I'll try to sort out different issues.

“We have enjoyed it here and the family like it. We didn't have to move too far down from Scotland. My kids are getting to near school age, which changes priorities and whether you are going to move them.

“The decision won't just be mine. It will be down to the club what they want to do with myself, other players, and where they are at if we do get promoted or we don't.

“It also depends what else is out there. Nobody knows what they are doing at the moment in terms of transfers and budgets. Until there are answers, I think everything is on standby.”