A miserable 4-1 defeat to Birmingham at the weekend ruined Blackburn Rovers' chance of a place in Europe through the InterToto Cup. They had their chances but with Birmingham trying to avoid relegation Blackburn failed to take advantage of their nervous opponents.

So, with no place in Europe will Blackburn's stars leave for greater things? Will Chelsea snap at the chance to buy David Bentley and offer Blackburn so much money that the Lancashire side could not refuse?

Will Manchester Utd try to sign Roque Santa Cruz in a bid to keep hold of their supremacy in England? If they do then Blackburn should start looking for some more bargains this summer and use some of the transfer money for its stars wisely.

'Blackburn could do with some back-up in the attacking department and Makaay fits the bill perfectly'


Let's hope, however, that Mark Hughes can persuade his players to stay and fight for Europe next season. He has already bagged the services of Benni McCarthy for three more years and, with Blackburn finishing seventh this season, the club is very ambitious to improve further - as is the manager.

So who could he buy? Should he stay in England to search or should he try to find another European bargain like he did last summer when signing Santa Cruz from Bayern Munich? Let's hope his scouts are working hard!

One player I would like to see in the Blackburn line-up is Roy Makaay of Feyenoord. The Dutch striker would link up well with both Santa Cruz and McCarthy and give Blackburn three strikers to choose from of world-class ability. With Jason Roberts not good enough for the Premier League and Matt Derbyshire still learning the game, Blackburn could do with some back-up in the attacking department and Makaay fits the bill perfectly.

The Dutchman has played in numerous top leagues including La Liga for Depotivo La Coruna, the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, and now in the Dutch league for Feyenoord. His experience would bolster the team greatly and, with the player in his twilight years at 33, he would be a relaxed character for the Ewood fans to marvel over.

Makaay is a proven goalscorer for the three teams mentioned and his international experience would also bode well for life in the English Premier League.

With Blackburn striving for European success, Makaay would be a great signing. He has played for Bayern in Champions League and has already played with Santa Cruz for his previous club, which would surely mean a great understanding. Their relationship would set alight the Premier League and Rovers would surely have another fantastic buy.

Whether or not Makaay would leave his beloved Feyenoord during his final years of football is somewhat doubtful, but if Mark Hughes is reading this article then give it a go - you never know until you try!