Sam prepared to blow budget

14 July 2009 19:14
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is planning to put his transfer kitty to good use this summer. Rovers have money to spend following the sale of Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City and their manager admits he is hoping to use that funding wisely. A replacement for the outgoing Santa Cruz remains a priority, but Allardyce admits he is keen to strengthen in other areas as well. "I know exactly what we need and I am in the market to get it as quick as I can and then assess the players as the season goes on and hopefully there will be a big improvement from last season," he told Sky Sports News. "I'm happy with the squad at the moment but obviously it wants strengthening, especially in the front line. "If I have to spend everything I have available on a striker so be it, that will be fine by me. "If I don't then there will a striker coming in we think can do a good job for us and if there is any funds available after that we will go back into the market and try and improve other areas of the team as best we can." Blackburn have been linked with Real Madrid frontman Ruud van Nistelrooy and Portsmouth forward Peter Crouch of late, but Allardyce admits he does not expect either to be on their way to Ewood Park during the transfer window. "I think from Ruud's point of view it isn't just the finance, we believe it will be September at the earliest before he is fully fit and that takes him out of the equation," he said. "There would be nothing more pleasing for me than to have the chance to bring him to Blackburn Rovers but it doesn't look possible, from the injury point of view more than anything else. He added: "Peter Crouch, I don't know what the overall packages is - whether he would like to come to Blackburn, that would be great - but I'm not sure we would be able to afford the transfer fee/wages. "I'm not certain about, I would have to speak to the chairman, but we are looking elsewhere as well in the Premier League and around Europe. We will target a number of players and hopefully we will be successful very quickly." Allardyce also admitted that he is unlikely to join the clamber for David Beckham's signature should the England international opt to head back to England in the New Year. "David would be a wonderful player to capture, but I don't think he would consider a club like Blackburn. I think there would be bigger and better teams in the Premier League that would be interested in him," he said.

Source: SKY_Sports