BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes is weighing up a move for the former England striker Francis Jeffers.

Jeffers' representatives have been in touch with the Rovers chief about a possible free transfer move to Ewood and Hughes is expected to make a decision in the next 24 hours.

Rovers chairman, John Williams, told the Evening Telegraph: "Mark had a conversation with Franny's representative and said he would like some time to think things over.

"But he also understands that the player wants a reasonably quick answer."

Freed by Charlton at the end of last season, Jeffers was on the brink of a move to Coventry when the chance of a move to Blackburn suddenly transpired late on Thursday evening.

Leeds United and Crystal Palace also want the 25-year-old, whose career has stalled over the last couple of years, but Jeffers would prefer to stay in the Premiership.

Hughes is currently in the market for three new strikers after losing Craig Bellamy and Paul Dickov this summer.

He has £10 million to spend on two big name' signings, but he's also looking for a third, cheaper option as well so Jeffers - or Liverpool's Florent Sinama Pongolle - could yet fit the bill.

Rovers' coaching staff certainly know plenty about Jeffers; he was a team-mate of Mark Hughes' at Everton, and he played under Eddie Niedzwiecki at Arsenal.

However, the Liverpool-born striker appears to have lost his way in recent times, so the Rovers boss must now weigh up whether he's worth taking a gamble on or not.

Jeffers has had something of a chequered career since he first made his Everton debut as a 17-year-old.

He initially made a big impact at Goodison, scoring 20 goals in 60 appearances for the Toffees, which prompted Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to pay £8 million for his services in the summer of 2001.

However, Jeffers did not live up to his fox in the box' reputation at Highbury, where, dogged by injuries and poor form, he scored just eight times in 39 appearances.

He returned to Everton briefly on loan in 2003-4, but a fall-out with manager David Moyes saw him head back to London prematurely.

Eventually, Wenger decided to cut his losses and Jeffers was sold to Charlton later that summer, but he never really settled at The Valley, where he scored just five goals in 24 appearances.