EWOOD goal-ace Andy Cole urged Graeme Souness to make an audacious swoop for Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke as he sets his sights on next season.

Cole has already struck up an exciting partnership with leading scorer Matt Jansen which has yielded 14 goals in 14 games.

But if Rovers plan to move onto the next level and make a real impact in both the Premiership and Europe next season then the recruitment of another top-class striker must be a priority.

Souness has already indicated Yorke could be the man to fill that void if United were ready to let him go for a knock-down fee in the region of £4 million.

And Cole believes that would prove to be a shrewd piece of business -- even though the arrival of his former United team-mate would create fierce competition for places. He said: "I would definitely welcome a move for Dwight.

"It would create extra competition for places but he'd be another quality addition, and if you want to progress in this league rather than stand still, then you have to bring in quality players.

"If the manager brought him in -- or anyone else of that quality -- then that can only help the the team and the club next season.

"Our goal shouldn't be survival and I certainly haven't got those thoughts in my head.

"This team should never have been in the position it was in this season and I certainly don't want to be in the same predicament again next year, otherwise I'll be pulling my hair out and I won't be a very happy camper."

Yorke and Cole formed one of the most formidable strike-partnerships in Europe during their days together at Old Trafford.

In their first season together in 1999 they scored an incredible 53 goals between them, culminating in United winning the treble.

Then the season after they weighed in with another 46 as United romped to the Premiership title again.

"We had a great understanding of how each other played," said Cole.

"That's what made the partnership -- the fact our understanding was very good and we scored quite a few goals as a result.

"But I can't detract from the service we used to get from the midfield as well, off players like Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and Keane.

"That service was top, top drawer and when you're getting that week in, week out then you're going to get chances to score."

In the last two years, however, Yorke's relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson has become increasingly strained due to revelations concerning his private life.

The situation finally came to a head when his reluctance to join Middlesbrough before deadline day scuppered Ferguson's hopes of landing West Ham's Paolo Di Canio.

So now the 30-year-old looks certain to leave in the summer and Cole believes Souness should jump at the chance of bringing him to Ewood.

"People might say he's 30 and this, that, and the other but you're not going to buy many 26 or 27 year-olds with either his experience or his quality," said Cole.

"That's what people have got to realise. When you leave a team like Manchester United you're not going to be 26 or 27 if you've been playing regularly and done everything.

"It's only when it's time to move on that you're going to leave and maybe Dwight has reached that stage now."

With Cole and Jansen already established at Ewood, whoever Souness targets as the man to bolster his attacking resources -- and Yordi is still not out of the equation -- faces a fight to win a regular first team slot.

But Cole would welcome greater competition for places up front if it means transforming Rovers into a force to be reckoned with in the Premiership.

"At this level you need plenty of competition for places, not just in attack but midfield and defence as well," added Cole.

Souness's hopes of bringing in another striker may yet hinge on whether or not he can off-load Ciccio Grabbi, however.

The £6.75 million signing is currently on loan at Serie B side Messina and Rovers will need to recoup most of their outlay before they can splash out on a possible replacement.