Blackburn Rovers have identified Gus Poyet as the man to replace Henning Berg as the club's new manager but have been priced out of a move due to the amount of compensation sought by his current club Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls, who sit four places above Blackburn in the Championship, want £2m in recompense for their manager.

Poyet saw his stock rise further with last weekend's FA Cup win against Newcastle United and is rated as one of the brightest managerial prospects outside the Premier League. The Uruguayan headed an ambitious Ewood Park shortlist drawn up when Berg was sacked nearly a fortnight ago. That has since been revised, with Sean O'Driscoll, Peter Taylor and Port Vale manager Micky Adams among those now in the frame for the job.

O'Driscoll, who was sacked by Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, has turned down the opportunity to manage Barnsley, while Taylor was dismissed as head coach of the Bahrain national team in October.

Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Blackburn have also issued a public apology to their former manager Sam Allardyce for allegations made against him by Steve Kean. Kean was first-team coach under Allardyce before taking over as manager just a month after the Indian poultry firm Venky's bought the club in 2010, and was caught making allegations on film during a tour of the Far East.

The best league in the world is back. Join The Independent for an online event, as our panel discusses the most uncertain start to a season in Premier League history. Click here to find out more and book your free ticket today.