SAM Allardyce has urged Blackburn Rovers’ board to back him one last time after insisting the capture of Michel Salgado would only raise the standards at Ewood Park.

The Rovers boss accepts his budget has been all but spent with six summer signings, ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League opener against Manchester City, but is still desperate to add the former Real Madrid defender to his ranks.

Allardyce revealed 33-year-old Salgado has already agreed to move to Ewood Park but the signing now depends on whether chairman John Williams can juggle the already stretched FROM BACK PAGE finances to fit him him into the wage bill.

He also revealed his determination to ward off Aston Villa’s interest in Stephen Warnock, claiming he would need to bring in two players to replace the loss of last season’s player of the season.

Allardyce said: “When I met Salgado at Northcote Manor, I spent about three hours with him and one of my strengths is a judge of character and he is just what we need.

“Not just as a player but as a person and what he can bring to us can raise the standard of this place. It did not take him long to say yes. It took about two hours and that was music to my ears. The only problem now is the usual, the finance.

“We have no finances now, we are done. I hope we can still do Salgado though. That would be the last one for me, I have asked the chairman to see if he can sort that out for me and I hope that will be done by early next week.

“Then I am very happy with my summer business. We have spent very wisely. We have great value for money on today’s prices. Probably the least risky one would be Michel. I know he can do it, there is no danger about that. He will breeze this division.”

Summer recruits Steven Nzonzi, Lars Jacobsen, Franco Di Santo, Elrio Van Heerden and Gael Givet should all be involved for tomorrow’s visit of Mark Hughes’ big spenders, with fellow new boy Nikola Kalinic’s having to wait for his debut.

Allardyce though remains hopeful Salgado will be his seventh, and final, signing of the window in the next few days, insisting he has the potential to fill a number of positions.

“He has trained 24 days with Real Madrid and played one and a half games with Real Madrid this summer,” said Allardyce. “He is very, very fit and there is the potential of playing him in one or two positions. Right back, left back or centre midfield.

“Basically it is getting him here and if he is going to make the team better, you sign him.

"Forget about positions, if he is a better player sign him.

"The player in that position has to play so much better to keep it or he replaces him, it is as simple as that. That’s life.

“The signings we have made are young, the only experienced one is Michel, who is a Fernando Hierro type, and would bring the standards up immensely, in the dressing room and field.

“The rest are a blend of youth to go with the experience we have already got.

"Youth, desire and freshness that youth brings drives on your experienced players.

"They come in and have the enthusiasm to challenge the players that are already here. So a nice blend of youth and experience.”