STEVE Kean fears Blackburn Rovers could be priced out of the market for loan stars Roque Santa Cruz and Jermaine Jones after failing to secure the first option on the duo.

When Paraguayan international Santa Cruz returned to Rovers last month on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season, Kean said talks were ongoing to fix a price for a potential permanent summer transfer.

The Rovers boss has now revealed these attempts have failed, with Manchester City understood to be asking too high a price for the striker.

And he has admitted they were also frustrated in attempts to agree an option with Jones’ parent Schalke.

Kean said: “We tried to fix a price for Roque and the same for Jermaine because we thought they would do well but we couldn’t fix a price.

“We were confident they would do well but obviously if they do really well now then the price becomes too much.

“We tried to get a price fixed but the parent club wouldn’t allow that and we just have to get on with it.”

Santa Cruz has yet to hit the heights of his first spell at Rovers since returning to Ewood Park, with niggling injury limiting any early impact.

The player himself is desperate to prove a success over the season finale to earn a permanent ‘homecoming’, with Rovers open to the idea if he can shake off lingering fitness doubts.

Having paid Rovers in the region of £17million, Manchester City are unlikely to allow the striker to leave on the cheap, especially to the club they paid such a huge sum to less than two years ago.

Rovers are left in a similar situation with Jones, after German outfit Schalke were unwilling to strike a deal for a potential summer switch for the midfielder.

Rovers now know should the pair fulfill their potential over the next couple of months they risk losing out on their permanent signing to rivals, with no agreement in place giving them first refusal.

“We don’t have any option,” said Kean. “We tried to fix a price so we could go to the owners and say if things go really well he is gouing to cost x amount.

“At the end of the season now I think they go back to their clubs and hopefully we have made a good impression and they want to come back to the club in whatever capacity.

“Whether it is another loan or if we can do a deal with their clubs and bring them back permanently we will have to wait to see.”