BLACKBURN Rovers are considering whether to make a move for Robbie Keane after the striker was made available by Tottenham ahead of the January transfer window.

Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has made the signing of an experienced Premier League striker a top priority next month, when the club will have money to spend following the recent takeover by Indian poultry company Venky’s.

Allardyce is looking at a number of targets and has confirmed that he is interested in bringing Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz back to the club – 18 months after the Paraguayan moved to Eastlands.

Fellow Manchester City forward Jo, Aston Villa’s John Carew and Liverpool’s David Ngog are also believed to be options.

It is understood that Keane has now joined Allardyce’s list of potential targets because of his track record of scoring goals at the top level of English football.

The Rovers boss has followed Keane’s career since the striker’s formative days with Wolves, when he proved a constant thorn in the side of Allardyce’s Bolton in the First Division, And he has been alerted after Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp admitted that the Republic of Ireland international would probably leave White Hart Lane in January.

Keane has started just two games this season and has not featured all since October after finding himself as Spurs’ fourth choice striker behind Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

He has endured a difficult second spell in north London after a £12m return from an unsuccessful move to Liverpool, and joined Celtic on loan for the second half of last season.

Keane has been linked with a move to Canadian side Vancouver Whitecaps, who will join the MLS in 2011, but is still only 30 years old and has 121 Premier League goals to his name.

Allardyce is keen to sign a player who has Premier League experience and would be ready to make an immediate impact at Ewood, having pulled out of the race to sign Pole Robert Lewandowski in the summer because of concerns that the forward would take time to adapt to the English game - as Rovers found when they signed Nikola Kalinic in the summer of 2009.

Aston Villa and Sunderland are also reported to be interested in Keane, who is Ireland’s captain and all-time leading scorer with 45 goals, and Redknapp has indicated that he will be sold to the highest bidder next month - suggesting that a loan move may be unlikely.

Rovers’ new owners Venky’s are set to discuss the club’s January transfer budget this week with sports agency Kentaro, rather than Allardyce, who will be keen to remain in sole control of the identification of new signings after drawing up a list of potential targets.

A box-to-box midfielder is also understood to be on his wish list.

Top flight sides must continue to operate within new Premier League squad rules this season, which state that clubs can only register 25 senior players, but Rovers currently have just 22 and are also three short of the maximum number of overseas-trained players allowed - meaning their January transfer activity is likely to be unrestricted by the regulations.