SAM Allardyce plunged back in the transfer market today when he added French midfielder Mario Espartero to his survival squad.

The 24-year-old £1.5 million rated Espartero has joined Wanderers on a three-month loan from FC Metz.

Espartero will join fellow new signings Fredi Bobic, Stig Tofting and Youri Djorkaeff in the squad for Saturday's trip to Southampton - provided his international clearance comes through in time.

Espartero had attracted the interest of a number of top clubs including Newcastle and Milan and he had trials at Rangers and Blackburn Rovers.

The player's agent Willie McKay revealed to planetfootball.com that Bolton had agreed a deal with Metz to take Espartero on loan for the rest of the season with the option of buying him permanently at the end of his spell at The Reebok Stadium.

The deal also includes a clause which allows any other side to buy Espartero at any time during his loan spell should they meet Metz's £1.5 million valuation of the player, but Bolton have first refusal to sign him.

"Mario has signed today (Thursday) for Bolton on loan until the end of the season," McKay told planetfootball.com.

"There is a clause in the deal which allows any other club to sign him for £1.5 million if they reach agreement with Metz, but Bolton have an exclusive option to make the signing permanent.

The Monte Carlo based agent also admitted that Espartero was looking forward to proving his worth in England after earning himself a reputation of being somewhat troublesome in France.

"Mario wants to prove himself on the pitch and he plans to do his talking on the pitch," said McKay.

The BEN's sister paper, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph published this report on February 11: FIERY FIERY French midfielder Mario Espartero is on his way to Ewood for a three-day trial.

Rovers boss Graeme Souness will run the rule over the tough-tackling Metz player, who is also being tracked by Glasgow giants Rangers, this week.

The 24-year-old, who has been dogged by disciplinary problems in France, would cost Rovers in the region of £1.5 million.

Rovers chief executive John Williams confirmed that the midfield battler was a player Souness was looking at.