City manager Mark Hughes yesterday confirmed the club had made a "significantly higher" bid than the £12million offered during the summer for the striker, only for Rovers to swiftly say no.

With money seemingly no object to City's Abu Dhabi owners, the ball is now in their court as to whether they make a new offer Blackburn would be unable to refuse.

"I can't second guess what Manchester City are going to do," said Allardyce, who will again be without Santa Cruz for tomorrow's Barclays Premier League clash at Fulham due to a calf injury.

"Whatever happens between now and next week, as time goes on in this usual transfer window of mayhem, we will wait and see.

"You never say never about anything because you never know what is around the corner when January is on the boil.

"At the end there is always going to be a price, but there is no price we are going to put on Roque's head.

"It is down to Man City to make the offer and blow us out of the water.

"Obviously, we simply want him to play for us and help us stay in the Premier League, which is the most important thing for me and this club."

Allardyce has also this week been linked with a move for Sunderland striker El Hadji Diouf, a player he successfully managed during his time at Bolton.

But it appears unlikely Diouf will again work with the Rovers boss for the foreseeable future as Allardyce revealed: "My information is he is not available."