Doncaster Rovers working on permanent deal for Jordan Houghton and prioritizing loan renewals

Rovers’ four current loanees – Houghton, Rodney Kongolo, Ben Whiteman and Harry Toffolo – will all have their deals up for review early next month.

Keen to retain those players, Ferguson will pursue extensions initially rather than concerning himself too much at this stage with making new additions.

“At the moment all we’re doing is formulating what we might need,” he told the Free Press.

“I’m probably concentrating more on sorting out the loan players and if we can make the Houghton deal permanent.”

Rovers are keen to land Houghton on a permanent deal with Chelsea and are awaiting a response from the Premier League giants.

Should a permanent deal go through, Ferguson believes it will have a significant impact on his budget for further incomings.

He said: “If it becomes permanent there is likely to be a big outgoing on that in terms of managing to do it.

“We’re already waiting on answers on that one. The wheels are in motion.

“With Whiteman, the wheels are in motion with that as well.

“We’ve got to have discussions with Man City about Kongolo.

“And then we have to decide whether. we bring players in fresh in January or leave it as it is.”

A foot injury for Toffolo has thrown a spanner in the works but Ferguson insists he will either extend the deal for the Norwich City left back or bring in a replacement.

“At the minute it suggests he’ll be back the middle of January.” he said. “The left back issue takes care of itself with either keeping Harry or getting another one in.”

Ferguson was set to meet with the Rovers board early on Thursday morning to finalise his budget after laying out his hopes for the window to senior figures last week.

He said: “There will be closure on it on Thursday and we’ll know where we’re going to go and what areas we’re going to strengthen if we can.”