Sam Allardyce has hit out at England’s increasingly over-inflated price tags as he starts to resign himself to having to find a striking solution abroad.

The Blackburn Rovers manager has the best part of a £13m transfer kitty to reinforce his squad after selling strikers Roque Santa Cruz and Matt Derbyshire but is struggling to find value for money for ‘proven Premier League’ quality.

Already this summer, Allardyce has secured three overseas players – French duo Gael Givet and Steven N’Zonzi, and South African Elrio van Heerden – while Lars Jacobsen joined from Everton.

And as Rovers prepare for their first pre-season friendly at non-league Cambridge United tomorrow night, he concedes that further foreign imports may prove the way to go instead of paying over the odds in an over-inflated domestic market.

Allardyce - who is expected to be out-priced in his interest in Tottenham striker Darren Bent - would prefer to buy home-grown players and those with Premier League experience.

But with money at a premium at Ewood Park, it is not always possible for the Rovers boss, as he continues to look further afield for more viable alternatives.

“You can get a foreign player as quick as an English player because of the values,” said Allardyce “Generally, the values are not as high as they are here and that is why I am looking there.

“It hasn’t stopped me looking here, and doesn’t stop them from moving here if the opportunity comes along.

“That would still be the best scenario - a player that already has Premier League experience.

"We will always keep our options open both here and abroad.

“Have transfer prices in England surprised me? No. Are the prices over-inflated? Yes. But there is no surprise now.

“There was a massive jump just over a year ago and another massive jump now. It starts from the top and works its way down.

“That is why it is so important to keep all the players you have got rather than having to keep trading because it has always been a very difficult area to work in and it is more difficult now than ever before.”

Allardyce is currently putting all his focus on easing Rovers' striking shortage and is only expected to look into potential trading in other positions once a Santa Cruz replacement is found.