BELLAMY IS SET FOR ROVERS RETURN

Blackburn Rovers are set to put their pursuit of James Beattie on hold - as they try to lure Craig Bellamy away from Liverpool.

Rovers were preparing a move for Beattie earlier in the week but will concentrate on landing other top targets before pressing ahead with a bid to bring him back to the club where he began his career.

And Bellamy is top of the list drawn up by Ewood manager Mark Hughes, who has overseen the Welshman’s best form of his career at both club and country level. The price could be a stumbling block as Liverpool look to make a significant gain on the £6million that triggered Bellamy’s exit clause last summer.

But Hughes is believed to be willing to enter negotiations for a player whose 17 goals in his one season at the club played a major part in their UEFA Cup qualification. Bellamy, however, is also set to be the subject of a bid from Aston Villa, who are in a significantly better bargaining position than Blackburn as American owner Randy Lerner continues to pledge his commitment to investing in the team during the close season.