DAVID Batty, or Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan, will probably have to make the next move if there is to be a rapid solution to the midfield man's Ewood Park dilemma.

Blackburn Rovers remain tight-lipped over the situation which arose when Batty had a confrontation with manager Ray Harford eight days ago and left Brockhall before training.

But I believe they will stand firm and that means if Batty wants to go - and Newcastle are definitely interested - he may have to force the issue by officially asking for a transfer.

That would mean the player giving up rights to a substantial amount of money; similar, though not the same, to certain aspects of the recent Stan Collymore wrangle.

The alternative is for Newcastle to make a serious improvement in their valuation of the player.

Although Rovers will not say whether there has been an official bid for Batty, North East sources have confirmed that the Premiership leaders are willing to pay around £3-£3.5 million for him.

It is not a question of Jack Walker putting a block on any move, it is simply that Rovers rate their England midfield player, who still has more than two years on his contract, more valuable.

And why not when you consider some of the prices paid for players, including the £4 million spent by Newcastle on full back Warren Barton.

So, either Batty will have to agree to forego some cash, or Newcastle will have to cough up more.

For it seems unlikely, unless there is a dramatic change in circumstances, that he will play for Rovers again in the foreseeable future.

As we revealed yesterday, contrary to many reports, Batty was at the training ground in midweek.

Although he is unavailable for comment, his representative has also been reported as rebuffing stories that he has gone on strike.

And, yesterday, Brendon Batson - Gordon Taylor's right-hand man at the Professional Footballers' Association - told me that they were not, at this stage, involved in the problem.

"We are aware of the matter but it is being dealt with internally by the club," he said.

A transfer seems to be the only answer but even that may need some prompting from the player, Newcastle, or any other clubs who will have been alerted.

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