Blackburn keen to tie up transfer deal for Lens ace

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce wants to sign Aruna Dindane in a
£2.5million deal from French side Lens - and that could be a blow for crisis club Portsmouth.

Allardyce is keen to tie up a deal for the Ivory Coast hitman after missing out on landing him in the last transfer window, as revealed by MirrorFootball .

Blackburn launch late bid for Aruna Dindane .

Rovers failed to agree a fee with Lens for Dindane, who has been on loan at Pompey this season, but the signs are that the French club will now do business as soon as possible.

Allardyce believe his club needs to land a proven forward - ideally with pace - and wants to tie up the transfer quickly to make sure Dindane heads to Ewood Park for next season.

Lens are also desperate to finalise a sale for Dindane, whose move to Fratton Park was designed to become permanent before they ran into their financial troubles.

And Dindane also wants to know where his long-term future lies. He is keen to land the Blackburn move and if Rovers can agree a fee with Lens there is even the chance that Dindane will be pulled out of Pompey's games for the rest of the season - as an injury could wreck the move for all concerned.

Dindane was missing from the Pompey side that won at Burnley a day after they went into administration. He would like to be part of their FA Cup run, but that may be overtaken if Rovers strike a deal with Lens in advance.

Allardyce has been relying heavily on young Nikola Kalinic lately but is a striker short in his attack after the sale of Benni McCarthy.