• Rovers hoped to pick up striker on a free transfer
• Tony Pulis wants £1.75m for out-of-favour Beattie

Blackburn Rovers have failed in an attempt to re-sign James Beattie after being told that Stoke City are looking to recoup a significant sum for the former England striker despite the manager Tony Pulis’s desire to move on a player he clashed with last season.

Blackburn had hoped that, with Stoke keen to get Beattie, one of their highest earners, off the wage bill, there might be a chance to pick up a player who started his career at Ewood Park on a free or for a nominal fee. However, Stoke have signalled that they would be looking for about £1.75m for Beattie, who cost them double that amount when he joined from Sheffield United in January 2009. Stoke also informed Blackburn that they would not consider loaning Beattie to one of their Premier League rivals.

Beattie clashed with Pulis at the Emirates Stadium in December, when the Stoke manager is alleged to have headbutted the forward following a disagreement over the club’s Christmas night out. The 32-year-old served a grievance procedure against Pulis but an investigation failed to find in his favour.

He made only one more appearance for Stoke after that episode and was left off the club’s pre-season trip to Austria along with Dave Kitson, another striker who is available for transfer this summer.

Blackburn RoversStoke CityTransfer windowStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk

• Blackburn manager says Capello has made ‘biggest mistake’
• Says ‘13 clean sheets speak for themselves’

The Blackburn Rovers manager, Sam Allardyce, believes the England coach, Fabio Capello, has made “completely the wrong decision” in leaving the goalkeeper Paul Robinson out of his preliminary World Cup squad.

Capello picked the Portsmouth veteran David James, Joe Hart – who has excelled while on loan from Manchester City to Birmingham – and West Ham’s Robert Green in the 30-man party from which he will choose his 23 for this summer’s tournament in South Africa.

Allardyce said Robinson’s form and experience warranted a place in the squad.

“I am staggered, totally. It is completely the wrong decision,” Allardyce told the Lancashire Telegraph. “If you look at [Robinson's] form for Rovers, there has not been a better goalkeeper who has been so consistent.

“Fabio has always said the people in form would get selected. There is nobody better than Paul Robinson at the moment, so there must be something before that has happened to put him off him, as a person and not as a goalkeeper.

“He has made the biggest mistake of his selection process, has Fabio. As much as I respect him for what he has done that is one big, big mistake.

“Thirteen clean sheets speak for themselves. There have to be other reasons why he hasn’t selected him because there is nobody in better form than Paul Robinson.

“Perhaps ‘Harty’ can run him close but he hasn’t got 40-odd England caps of experience and hasn’t played in any major championships so it would be much more valuable having Paul Robinson there than it would be to have Joe Hart – never mind the David James scenario, who is spasmodically in and out because it seems he has a bit of an injury problem.”

World Cup 2010World Cup 2010 Group CEnglandSam AllardyceBlackburn Roversguardian.co.uk

• Stephen McManus joins Middlesbrough on loan from Celtic
• Martin Taylor leaves Birmingham for Watford
• Burnley complete signing of Danny Fox

Benni McCarthy’s move to West Ham has been delayed by work permit issues but is expected to go through over the weekend, according to the Blackburn manager, Sam Allardyce.

The clubs have agreed a fee for the South Africa striker but there has been a hold-up over McCarthy’s permit which is due to expire when his Blackburn contract runs out in 18 months. It means McCarthy will not be available to play for the Hammers when Blackburn travel to Upton Park tomorrow.

“It’s close to him finally becoming a West Ham player,” said Allardyce. “It’s a work permit situation – that’s the only hiccup and that should be resolved by Sunday.”

Middlesbrough have completed the loan signing of Celtic’s Stephen McManus, according to the Scottish club’s manager Tony Mowbray. The Celtic captain will join up with his former Parkhead manager Gordon Strachan at the Riverside until the end of the season. “The ink on the contract is drying as we speak,” said Mowbray.

McManus is one of two departures from Glasgow today, with the left-back Danny Fox also joining Burnley for an undisclosed fee. The signing of the 23-year-old continues a busy few days in the transfer market for the new Clarets manager Brian Laws, who earlier this week signed the defender Leon Cort and the goalkeeper Nicky Weaver. Fox, a former England Under-21 international, has agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Turf Moor.

Watford have signed Martin Taylor on a free transfer from Birmingham. The 30-year-old central defender spent six years at St Andrew’s having signed from Blackburn in January 2004. He has signed a contract with Watford through to 2012, with his deal at Birmingham due to expire this summer. The centre-back made 117 appearances for Blues, scoring three goals.

Transfer windowWest Ham UnitedBlackburn RoversPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk