SAM Allardyce will offer Youri Djorkaeff and Fredi Bobic a chance to lead his assault on the Premiership next season.

The Reebok boss confirmed today he is hoping to strike deals to secure the services of the two top class attackers, who played key roles in Wanderers' successful survival mission.

He knows it could take some hard bargaining on both counts but Allardyce's statement of intent comes just days after his chairman Phil Gartside insisted finance would not be an issue, if the manager wished to pursue the deals.

Now the manager is ready to toss the ball into the players' court. They have both enjoyed their brief spells in the Premiership, now they must decide whether the terms on offer at the Reebok will also be to their liking.

Djorkaeff, who looks like he has booked his ticket to a second World Cup Finals with France, is a free agent and could attract offers from Europe's top clubs if he shines in the tournament and Allardyce has warned that any negotiations, which began yesterday, could take time.

"We'll have an opportunity to speak again before he leaves and we'll take it from there, one stage at a time," he explained.

"I hope he will stay but that's a process I don't think can be concluded before he goes to the World Cup. But we'll have a talk and we'll have a try.

"Anyway, I think he will now be focussing mainly on whether he will be picked for the World Cup. Seeing him play against Russia, I would say he has a really good chance because I'm not so sure they have his type of player in their squad. He will give them a different element, something they haven't got ... he's fit enough and he played in the last World Cup."

The way was paved for Wanderers to cut a deal with Bobic when they signed the former German international on loan from Borussia Dortmund in February. But he has a year left on his contract with the new Bundesliga champions and UEFA Cup runners-up and, like Djorkaeff, is expected to take time to consider his future.

"It's a half done deal," Allardyce said, "by the fact that there is a fee agreed between us and Dortmund. Then, obviously, we have the player's personal terms and his family scenario to consider if we're extending into a longer period of time. All those things have to be considered and have to be right before we can move into that deal."