Van Nistelrooy scored 95 league goals in five seasons at Old Trafford

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce admits he has been priced out of a move for Real Madrid's Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Allardyce is looking for a new forward after the departures of Matt Derbyshire and Roque Santa Cruz this month.

And he was hoping to persuade the 33-year-old former Manchester United striker to return to England.

"I think probably Ruud, from a salary point of view, is out of our reach and I think he is not going to be fit until September," Allardyce said.

"We need someone right now who can join up with the squad as soon as we can."

Allardyce also denied he had made an approach for Portsmouth and England striker Peter Crouch - also on financial grounds.

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"We think he is probably out of our reach and bigger clubs than Blackburn will take him if Portsmouth decide they are going to sell him. No-one has said to me from Portsmouth that he is for sale, so we haven't done anything from that point of view."

Van Nistelrooy spent five seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 150 goals in fewer than 200 games over five seasons.

The Dutch striker moved to Real in the summer of 2006, but he has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu following the Spanish side's signings of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent weeks.

Van Nistelrooy, who is also thought to be a target of Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, is rumoured to be available for £1.5m.

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