Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has revealed that the club cannot afford to keep Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo at the club for another season. 

The defender has caught the eye with some impressive performances this season for Rovers, making 33 appearances in total for the Lancashire-based side.

Blackburn are currently sat tenth in the Championship table, and are five points adrift of the play-off places heading into the final four matches of this year's campaign.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Tony Mowbray revealed that he doesn't expect Adarabioyo to be with the club heading into next season.

"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."

Mowbray went on to admit that he thinks Adarabioyo will be playing his football in the Premier League in the near future, before stating that he would love to work on a deal to sign him up in the future.

"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. From our perspective, we’d love to do something with him. At this moment I don’t know Manchester City’s plans."

Adarabioyo and his Blackburn team-mates are back in action this weekend, when they take on promotion-chasing West Brom at Ewood Park.

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The Verdict: 

I'm not surprised to hear this.

Adarabioyo has really impressed me with Blackburn this season, and I don't think they'd be within contention to challenge for a top-six finish this season without him.

It would have been a real coup if they managed to sign him up again for another season, as he's clearly a player that is more than capable of playing in the Premier League in the future.

I'd expect to see him loaned out by Manchester City in the summer transfer window, but I'd be stunned if that was to Blackburn Rovers again.