TRANFSER UPDATES: Newcastle have completed the €4.5million signing of Bolton captain Kevin Nolan. Wanderers accepted a bid from their Barclays Premier League rivals yesterday and the player travelled to the north-east to discuss personal terms and have a medical.

Those talks and procedures were relatively straightforward and the 26-year-old midfielder has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal.

Nolan made 323 appearances for Bolton following his debut in 1999 and will immediately fill a hole left by Joey Barton, who has been ruled out for 10 weeks with a broken foot.

Newcastle's under-fire owner Mike Ashley saw at first hand just how bad a shape the team were in during the 2-1 defeat at Manchester City on Wednesday.

And, after holding an emergency meeting with the rest of his board on Thursday, Ashley has responded by making money available for Nolan.

Bolton manager Gary Megson was reluctant to discuss the deal at his weekly press conference.

"For any more details you will have to go to the press office of the football club and they will let you know what we're doing," said the manager.

"That's as far as I'm going to go with it."

El-Hadji Diouf has completed his move to Blackburn from Sunderland, for a fee of €2.4million. After spending three years together at Bolton, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce and Diouf are again reunited at Ewood Park.

Allardyce said: "He is a talented player. He can be a little wayward, as everybody knows, but hopefully I'll be able to control him as much as I did when I was at Bolton."

And he is convinced Diouf will win over the Rovers boo-boys who have never forgiven a player viewed as a cheat.

Diouf has always been roundly jeered whenever he has faced Rovers, stemming back to an incident four years ago when he dived to win a penalty for Bolton in a game at Ewood Park.

Replays showed then goalkeeper Brad Friedel made no contact with Diouf, who won the game by firing home the rebound after the American goalkeeper had saved the initial spot-kick.

Allardyce, however, believes, if can get Diouf back playing to his best after an unhappy seven months with Sunderland, memories of such an infamous night will be forgotten.

He added: "In the time I spent with him we always finished in the top half of the Premier League, no lower than eighth, and we played in Europe.

"Hopefully, he can bring his ability, his trickery, to Ewood Park and delight some of the Blackburn fans."

As to ensuring Diouf fires on all cylinders, Allardyce has a method of working with him he developed during their time at Bolton.

"Knowing him as long as I have, and understanding his personality, means I probably will put up with more than most managers would," commented Allardyce.

"I won't be soft. I can be as hard as I need to be, but I can be encouraging, reminding him of the things he needs to do, not just on the field, but off it.

"I have to make sure he doesn't let himself, me or the club down.

"After a sticky start, our relationship at Bolton improved, and I now want to continue that at Blackburn."

There will be no immediate return to the North East for Diouf, though, as Blackburn failed to complete the transfer by the noon deadline ahead of Saturday's game at Middlesbrough.

Blackburn have also rejected a new Manchester City bid for Roque Santa Cruz.

City have been chasing Santa Cruz for much of the transfer window and went back with an increased bid for the Paraguayan yesterday, only for Rovers to say no.

"Yesterday afternoon we put an improved bid to Blackburn for Roque Santa Cruz but it was rejected," said City manager Hughes today.

Hughes confirmed City were still considering whether to pursue the matter any further, although Allardyce did suggest that the Blues would be wasting their time as he would not be able to get a replacement.

They may get more joy in the pursuit of goalkeeper Shay Given though.

The Republic of Ireland international put in a transfer request at Newcastle last night and has made it clear he would like to join the Eastlands club.

Hughes wants Given's experience to give City's defence more solidity and now he is waiting for the Magpies to make contact.

"We have put in a bid for Shay but we are still waiting for an update," he said.