WIGAN look set to call off the hunt for Clarets skipper Robbie Blake.

But Blake's Burnley future remains uncertain after it emerged the striker has backed out of contract talks over a new, extended two-year deal.

Latics boss Paul Jewell last night claimed to have received assurances that Blake WOULD be keen on a switch to the JJB Stadium.

However, after having three bids rejected - the last for £700,000 - Jewell is ready to finally admit defeat and turn his attention towards another Championship striker, thought to be Crewe's Dean Ashton.

"Every player has his price and we believe we have offered a fair price for Blake," said Jewell.

"This has become a protracted saga but it now looks like that is going to be the end of it because we are certainly not going any higher.

"Robbie's agent has told me he would like to come, but obviously Burnley is his club and they have to do what is best for them."

Jewell, whose club had been accused of leaking news of the three bids, added: "Both Burnley and ourselves are disappointed that this has come out into the public domain because that's not something we wanted to happen.

"It's not fair on Burnley because they have a player who is unsettled by all this."

I believe that Burnley bosses have placed a £1.5 million price tag on the head of the 11-goal striker, who still has 18-months remaining on his present Turf Moor deal.

However, after rejecting recent overtures from Wigan and Nottingham Forest, Burnley may have to brace themselves for more bids in the transfer window after Blake, who needs one more goal to score a half-century for the club, dramatically called a halt to new contract talks.

I understand the Clarets had tabled a lucrative deal that would keep Blake tied to Burnley until the summer of 2008.

And by ending negotiations at such a late stage, the player has clearly been advised to keep his options open.

The ongoing saga has completely overshadowed the build-up to tomorrow's home clash with Lancashire neighbours Preston North End.

Yet fully-focused Burnley boss Steve Cotterill insists his players have not been distracted by the off-field events.

He said: "The lads have been absolutely excellent in training this week. On Monday and Tuesday they were first class and they have trained as well as they have all season - full on.

"I still don't know how big the Preston game is, so I suppose when the crowd come here I'll know by how many turn up.

"It won't be easy because I saw them last week and I know they've got a decent squad of players and a good manager in Billy Davies.

"We will have to be careful, but it's all about us being right on the day and doing our jobs properly.

"We both had defeats last week and, having seen both games, Preston contributed to their game more than we did at Plymouth, yet they took a heavier defeat.

"That 5-0 scoreline at Wigan doesn't probably sit right. I was at the game and for an hour Preston gave a good account of themselves and the scoreline, in my opinion, was not a justifiable one.

"But we can't talk about Preston and any potential backlash. You have enough worries with your own club and other things to deal with and I just think, first and foremost, we have to deal with ourselves and not worry about anything else.

"We can't control that - we can only control our own performance."

Cotterill, whose injured players are slowly coming back into contention, added: "We can probably add one to the squad for tomorrow, but we lose another in John McGreal, who is suspended.

"So we probably won't be any better off than we were last week for numbers. It's just a swap in personnel."