BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes was today hoping to sign Liverpool striker Florent Sinama Pongolle.

Hughes has made the Frenchman his number one transfer target and I can reveal that Pongolle made a fleeting visit to Brockhall yesterday, where he met the Rovers chief and cast his eye over the club's impressive training facilities.

The plan is to sign the 21-year-old on loan until the end of the season, but Hughes must first tie up a permanent deal for either David Bentley or Richard Lee as he has already used up his quota of loan players from the same affiliation for this campaign.

If Hughes can strike a deal for either Bentley or Lee, that will then clear the way for him to open talks with Liverpool about a move for Pongolle.

However, if that doesn't happen then the Welshman will turn instead to former Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers, who will be offered a Robbie Fowler-style short-term contract until the end of the season.

Rovers had several conversations with Charlton yesterday and a source told me last night that Jeffers is desperate to join Blackburn following a miserable stint at The Valley.

Hughes was facing a frantic day of negotiations but there's no way he will sign both Jeffers and Pongolle - it's a case of one or the other - as he looks to boost his striking options in the wake of injuries to Craig Bellamy and Paul Dickov.

Pongolle - who has also been interesting Bordeaux, Lyon, Tottenham and Manchester City - has struggled to pin down a regular starting place at Liverpool this season and Fowler's arrival means Rafa Benitez is now ready to let him go out on loan.

The former Le Havre striker, who was signed by Gerard Houllier in 2002, has scored nine goals for the Reds in 62 appearances, the vast majority of which have been made as a substitute.

Jeffers meanwhile, would jump at the chance to resurrect his career with Rovers after falling out of favour at Charlton.

The 25-year-old initially made his name at Everton, where he was the Wayne Rooney of his generation, before securing an £8 million move to Arsenal in June 2001.

But a succession of injury problems meant he only made 39 appearances in three years with the Gunners before quitting to join the Addicks in a £2.6 million deal in 2004.

Since then, Jeffers' career has stalled under Alan Curbishley, so much so that the Charlton boss loaned him out to Rangers earlier this season, where he failed to score in 14 appearances.

However, Hughes knows Jeffers well from their time together at Everton and he believes he could be the man to rekindle the spark that once saw the striker force his way into the England squad earlier in his career.

Hughes has until midnight tonight to sign either Pongolle or Jeffers before the transfer window shuts, but it's highly unlikely a deal would be done in time for either man to face Manchester United at Ewood tomorrow.