Allardyce not playing numbers game

08 July 2009 11:14
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is looking for quality not quantity as he looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the new season. Rovers have already been linked with numerous players but Allardyce is concentrating primarily on finding a striker to replace Roque Santa Cruz after he moved to Manchester City. Yet after he also offloaded Matt Derbyshire to Olympiacos, there have been reports that two of Allardyce's key men, defenders Stephen Warnock and Chris Samba, are being tracked by other top-flight rivals, but the manager does not anticipate any more departures. "We are not in the position where we need to sell any more," said the Rovers boss. "John Williams (Blackburn's chairman) has said that Roque and Matt Derbyshire were enough to satisfy the bank and give me some of that money to go into the transfer market. "We need to do more in terms of building the squad and building strength in depth and its quality, with experience. I am not talking about numbers, I am talking about the quality needed to compete in the Premier League on a regular basis." He added: "If I was going to do any more it would be because I would want to move one player out and bring two in. That is the only reason I would have to do that but it is not the Warnocks and the Sambas, that is other players if I have to do that with. I certainly don't want to lose any more of my best players."

Source: Eurosport