Tottenham and Manchester City both want Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz

Blackburn are bracing themselves for a bidding war between Manchester City and Tottenham, with the London club set to move in for striker Roque Santa Cruz.

Rovers turned down a £12million bid from City for the 26-year-old Paraguayan marksman yesterday and the frustrated player is now ready to ask for a transfer.

Spurs are waiting to pounce, with White Hart Lane boss Juande Ramos a huge admirer.

Santa Cruz hit 19 League goals and 23 in total from 42 games in his debut season last term. Ramos maintained yesterday he will sign another striker whether Manchester United target Dimitar Berbatov stays or not.

Rovers are desperate to keep the frontman for whom they paid just £3.5m. Having dismissed City's bid out of hand, Rovers have vowed to dig their heels in.

But with Robbie Keane already gone to Liverpool, Ramos will be left with just Darren Bent as an out-and-out striker if - as expected - Berbatov moves.

United are continuing to work on a deal for the Bulgarian and Spurs last night tried to move negotiations along by claiming that Barcelona also want the 27-year-old.

Ramos insisted yesterday that he is ready to play Berbatov against Middlesbrough tomorrow if a deal is not concluded by then.

And he said: "Dimitar is a great player and is carrying himself superbly well through this and we want him to stay. But I have no preference one way or another - you have to go with what is happening.

"We work without rest to look for players.''

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