SAM Allardyce is scouring Europe for a top-quality striker AND midfielder in January.

The Blackburn Rovers manager will almost certainly sign a new striker in the transfer window if wantaway Benni McCarthy and Franco Di Santo leave Ewood Park.

As things stand, Chelsea loanee Di Santo is expected to return to Stamford Bridge on January 1, while McCarthy is seeking a move after being restricted to just one Premier League start this season.

However, Allardyce is bracing himself for a much more significant squad shake-up with the prospect of other players coming and going in the new year.

One area of concern is in midfield, which the Rovers boss believes is lacking sufficient pace and creativity to supplement the defensive core of Steven Nzonzi, Keith Andrews and Vince Grella.

Although David Dunn has enjoyed a renaissance for Blackburn this season in the playmaker role, Morten Gamst Pedersen and El-Hadji Diouf have struggled to maintain a high level of consistency, while Elrio van Heerden is yet to make his Premier League debut.

Pedersen is out of contract next summer, along with Dunn and Steven Reid, and Rovers may be tempted to cash in on the Norweigan winger who has failed to rediscover the form that shot him to Premier League fame at the beginning of his Ewood career.

The club would only consider parting with the Scandinavian for a satisfactory offer in January, but it is clear that Allardyce is desperate to freshen up his midfield.