SAM Allardyce is still keen to bring Spanish defender, Cesar, to the Reebok.

Wanderers officials were quick to contradict weekend reports that they had struck a short-term deal for the 28-year-old Deportivo La Coruna centre-back.

But Cesar - full name Cesar Martin Villar - remains one of the players Allardyce has earmarked as a transfer window target.

His only reservation is that the tough defender, who has never played more than 20 games in a season for Deportivo, would be too rusty to go straight into his Premiership side.

Cesar, who joined the crack Spanish side from Real Oviedo in 1999, has played only 20 minutes in La Liga this season, being booked in one of his two substitute appearances. His last start for Deportivo was in January last year, when he was sent off in a 1-1 draw with Numancia, capping a nightmare disciplinary run that earned him seven yellow cards and one red in just nine games.

Initially reluctant to move abroad - he has been linked with moves to Newcastle and Spurs - reports in Spain claim he has become so desperate for first team football in the hope that he might force his way into the Spain squad for the World Cup, that he is now prepared to listen to Premiership offers.

Although anxious to reinforce his squad as a matter of urgency, Allardyce fears he may have to wait until the end of the month before he gets any joy.

The majority of clubs Wanderers have approached are refusing to play ball on loan deals, believing they can sell their surplus players.

It is a familar story for Allardyce, who famously signed Pierre-Yves Andre and Florent Laville with just minutes to spare before the window closed in 2003.

"Historically, when we've needed loans in, we've needed them in on January 1, not the 30th, but they've always been at the end of the month. At one stage it was January 31 at 11.45pm - two of them. Last year we signed Vincent Candela virtually on the last day and, before that, we had Moreno (Javi Moreno joined Wanderers in January 2004).

"Loans are just not there at the moment because clubs want to sell their players. They don't want to loan them and they will not turn into loan possibilities until they can't sell them.

"So, at the moment, it looks like the only way we will secure a player is to buy him. And that, under our financial restrictions, seems to be unlikely."