Transfer thoughts...

Aruna Dindane. Ah, now there's a blast from the past.

Let's rewind.

Pursued by Gary Megson in the summer of 2004, Albion looked set to tie him up. I remember speaking to his agent around the time that Kanu signed - the Ivory Coast striker, then at Anderlecht, was desperate to join. It never happened.

The August transfer window came and went. Dindane failed to join, Earnshaw came instead. Bryan Robson ended Albion's interest in Dndane.

Yet his name is here again. But this time the interest is much more tenuous. Yes, Albion have monitored his progress - I dare say Bobby Hope still has the dossiers on him from four years ago - but that's as far as it's gone. No discussions have been held with his current club Lens.

He's been injured for the last few months and there's little chance of Albion signing Dindane (now a second division player) for £5million, as claimed by some sources. Not least as their League status for next season is far, far from certain. A loan? That would be more feasible.

The reality is this - Albion scouts have been sent away left, right and centre. Tony Mowbray was himself on Uefa Cup duty last Thursday. Manucho of Man United has also been watched, as have others.

But nothing is set in stone as yet.

Mowbray has two domestic loans to use up and his views on what may happen in January can be read in Tuesday's Birmingham Mail. It makes for interesting reading and may give Albion fans something to look forward to during these depressing bottom-of-the-league times.

One thing's for sure - there are no targets as yet.

Most of the names you'll be reading elsewhere are either being put out by agents to generate interest, by clubs to raise the price of their own players (De Sutter of Cercle Bruges for instance) or because Albion scouts have been spotted at a game (the Baggies were one of 20-odd clubs represented at a recent Leeds United game to watch Fabian Delph).

It's early November. There will little 'action' until the New Year, probably late January - this is Albion we're talking about, after all. And much of that may depend on what falls into Albion's lap via football's food chain once others have sorted themselves out.

Shame about Kevin Thomson's season ending injury though - he's one player I'm convinced would have been near the top of Mowbray's 'To Do' file.