IYOURI Djorkaeff is not asking a lot ... but, by the same token, he could be asking the earth!

The French maestro is prepared to commit his future to Wanderers but only if the club invests in more good players.

He has enjoyed playing a key role in the survival mission but he doesn't fancy signing up for a relegation battle next season.

And who can blame him? The man has World Cup and European Championship winners medals and, even though entering the twilight of his career, he does not want his copybook blotting.

More to the point, he has enjoyed life with the Wanderers and genuinely believes there could be exciting times ahead if the club is prepared to match his own personal ambitions.

But players do not come cheap and you have to have spent the last three years on Mars not to know that money is tight at the Reebok. Anyone thinking the Bolton board are going to splash tens of millions on the transfer market can think again.

Nevertheless, there is more than one way of skinning a cat and, while Phil Gartside expects his manager to concentrate on the Bosman and long-term loan markets which have provided rich pickings in the past, he has said there could be more quality performers following the likes of Djorkaeff, Fredi Bobic and Bruno N'Gotty.

It is all a matter of degrees, of course. There may be no big money fees being paid but it does not follow that there will be no big name signings.

The chairman has told Allardyce that, if he wants Djorkaeff and Bobic, the decision will be his. Whether Wanderers are prepared to go the extra yard and draft in even more top quality performers is another matter.

It must be tempting. Bobic and Djorkaeff brought so much to Wanderers at such a crucial stage of the season both with their own individual talents and collectively as an inspiration to the players who were struggling to stop the slide towards the drop zone.

"They made big contributions but they also brought a change round in form for the whole squad," Allardyce acknowledged after opening negotiations with the two internationals.

The manager is making the same noises as Djorkaeff. Keeping Wanderers in the Premiership against most people's expectations has been a magnificent achievement. But it has been tough and the pressure has been relentless.

Not surprisingly, he would prefer an easier ride next season but he knows that, without more quality, another struggle is on the cards.

"There wasn't that much difference between us and Fulham on the day, nor between us and Spurs," Allardyce recalls of duels with mid-table finishers. "We just need to add to what we've got.

"We are looking at mid-table as being the next step. You'd like to be looking higher but we have to be realistic.