SAM Allardyce believes Blackburn Rovers will soon have to commit themselves in their striker search after admitting the longer they wait the riskier it gets.

As the squad reported back to their Brockhall base for pre-season training yesterday, Allardyce’s priority remains on adding to his side’s attacking options and he knows he will soon have to take a gamble.

The Rovers boss won’t meet up with his squad for pre- season until they arrive in Austria on July 4, as he puts his faith in his coaching staff, but is working continuously in his efforts to bring a new striker to the club.

The ongoing negotiations behind the scenes at Ewood Park regarding a potential Rovers takeover have complicated matters in the transfer market, but sources at the club have again indicated it remains ‘business as usual’.

Indian businessman Saurin Shah is remaining tight-lipped on his interest, having met club officials at Brockhall late last week, while other parties are also known to be interested in the club as well.

But, with the new Premier League season now just six weeks away, Allardyce is growing increasingly anxious in his desire to fill the obvious void in his squad.

Allardyce said: “I have been in touch with our head of player recruitment Martyn Glover and Neil McDonald while taking a break to see what the situation is regarding the one key player we are looking for.

"Unfortunately that hasn’t managed to materialise at the moment.

“We are at a situation where we have to commit to someone otherwise what will happen is we will end up with nobody. Or we will end up with someone that is not good enough out of desperation.

“That is the problem we have got. Anyone who has had a decent World Cup will end up being far, far too expensive for us.

"That is the situation you are going to come to with everybody who plays in the World Cup.

“If a striker from a more obscure country plays well and you ring up about him they will start at £8million and work upwards.

"That is our of our budget range.”

The Rovers boss has identified a couple of possible targets and is expected to keep making enquiries over the next few days.

Allardyce said: “It is like everything else. You have got to try and move forward even though it might not be the right time for the football club financially.

"It is the right time for the football club from a football perspective.

“You have to trust that we will make the budget right at the end of the transfer window by shifting around the player we need to shift if that player becomes available.

“It is taking the gamble and then if it is above what you wanted to pay then you take the responsibility as a manager to put that right.

"As a manager I have never not put it right, if you look at my record at every club I have been at.”

Rovers were eased back into pre-season yesterday with players put through a series of fitness tests but are expected to step up their work over the next couple of days.

Several trialists have been lined up to meet up with Rovers this summer, but aren’t expected until later in the week.