Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Newcastle have completed the signing of central defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa from Montpellier on a five-and-a-half-year contract.



- Moussa Sissoko will be left out of Toulouse's matchday squad on Wednesday night - and he could be on his way to Newcastle United.



- Newcastle are expected to complete the signing of Bordeaux striker Yoan Gouffran on Wednesday.



- Nancy's French defender Massadio Haidara is closing in on a move to Newcastle



- Ashley Cole is keen to taste further success with Chelsea after confirming he has signed a one-year contract extension with the Premier League club.



- Chelsea target Radamel Falcao has angrily denied he is cosying up with Real Madrid ahead of a possible summer move.



- According to The Times, Alex Ferguson is looking at the possibility of proposing a goalie swap with Fútbol Club Barcelona. After the announcement that Victor Valdés is leaving Barça, the Scottish manager is contemplating the possibility of exchanging him for David De Gea.



- Manchester United expect to wrap up the signing of Wilfried Zaha by the morning, although they may defer the finer details of the transfer until the summer.



- Arsenal target Adam Szalai has cooled speculation linking him with a move this month by saying he expects to stay at Mainz.



- Fulham target Maarten Stekelenburg is likely to stay at Roma as the

Serie A side have received no bids for him.



- Celtic manager Neil Lennon has confirmed his club have rejected a second bid from Norwich City for striker Gary Hooper.



- Tottenham are weighing up a shock move for wantaway Celtic star Gary Hooper.



- Everton and West Ham target Danijel Pranjic has moved on loan to Celta Vigo for the rest of the season.



- West Ham are poised to make a move for Middlesbrough defender George Friend.



- Swansea boss Michael Laudrup says striker Danny Graham is no nearer to leaving the club as Norwich and Sunderland battle for his services.



- Swansea defender Alan Tate has returned from his loan spell at Leeds United a week early.



- Sunderland face a battle to sign Mauro Zarate after his agent revealed the player is happy to stay and fight for his place at Lazio.



- Liverpool are pressing on with attempts to sign Philippe Coutinho despite the midfielder declaring he would be happy to stay at Inter Milan.



- Liverpool are keen on Australian A-League star Marco Rojas - but his club Melbourne Victory believe he will stay for now.



- Edin Dzeko's agent has played down talk linking the striker with a move to Inter Milan and insisted he will not be leaving Manchester City this month or during the summer.



- Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has signed his contract extension at the club, extending his stay until 2016.



- There are three official moves to report, as Siena have signed Innocent Emeghara and Salvador Agra, while Genoa loaned Giammario Piscitella to Modena.



- Galatasaray have signed Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder on a three-year deal.



- Deportivo La Coruna are ready to battle QPR for the signature of out-of-favour Porto defender Rolando.



- Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has told Tuttomercatoweb that Yoann Gourcuff is unlikely to be on the move this month as he continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal.



- Ajax are due to open contract talks with rising star Viktor Fischer amid renewed interest from Manchester United and Barcelona.



- Birmingham are set to re-sign left-back Paul Robinson on a new contract when his current deal expires this weekend.



- Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Chris Lines is set to join MK Dons on loan.



- Barnsley have offered a trial to striker Mathieu Manset and are hopeful that he will soon reach full fitness.



- Blackburn Rovers defender Jack O'Connell is set to join York City on loan.



- Joe Lennox has departed Plymouth after the League Two club opted not to offer the midfielder fresh terms.



- MK Dons have completed the loan signing of Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Chris Lines for the remainder of the season.



- Ryan Nelsen is to start work as the coach of Toronto FC on 1 February and will play his last game for QPR next week.

Chelsea complete Ba signing

Chelsea have completed the signing of striker Demba Ba from Newcastle United.



Ba has put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge, after the Blues triggered the £7 million release clause in his Magpies contract.



The deal was completed just in time for the Senegal international to be available to manager Rafa Benitez for the FA Cup tie against Southampton this weekend.



"It feels good to be here, I'm very happy and very proud," Ba said. "When the club who won the Champions League wants you, the decision is very easy.



"This club is massive and that's something that helped the decision a lot. It was not a hard one."



Ba is also available for the club's Capital One Cup semi-final against Swansea, but cannot play in the Europa League due to Newcastle's own participation in the competition.



He will wear the No. 29 shirt for Chelsea.



"It was important for me, and for Newcastle, to get my future sorted and now we can move on," Ba added. "Now they have the whole month to buy someone and for me as well, the sooner the better.



"Now I am here I just need to get settled in."



Ba was Newcastle's top scorer for the first half of the season, scoring 13 Premier League goals - including a hat-trick in what turned out to be his final game for the club, the 7-3 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.



He previously gained Premier League experience with West Ham.

Wednesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Demba Ba has sealed his move to Chelsea — with Alan Pardew insisting the striker leaves with Newcastle’s “blessing”.



- Liverpool have confirmed the signing of striker Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea.



- Liverpool have been offered the chance to sign former Chelsea winger Ricardo Quaresma, according to reports in Spain.



- Blackpool manager Michael Appleton insists Liverpool have yet to return with an improved offer for winger Thomas Ince.



- Arsene Wenger is confident Theo Walcott will finally commit himself to a new contract.



- Arsenal defender Johan Djourou is a target for German club Hannover.



- Manchester United and Tottenham are set to go head-to-head in the battle to sign Crystal Palace wonderkid Wilfried Zaha.



- Chelsea have suffered a transfer blow after Corinthians indicated their desire to keep hold of Paulinho.



- Chelsea midfielder Marko Marin wants to fight for his future at Stamford Bridge and has ruled out the possibility of a return to the Bundesliga this month.



- Tottenham have become the latest Premier League side to submit an offer for Spain striker David Villa, according to El Confidencial.



- Newcastle are set to bid for West Ham defender James Tomkins as they look to rebuild their depleted squad in the January transfer window.



- Alan Pardew is convinced new recruit Mathieu Debuchy will add class to Newcastle’s defence.



- Ghanian international Derek Boateng is to undergo a medical on Wednesday ahead of a January move to Fulham.



- Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is on red alert after Paris Saint Germain told France international Guillaume Hoarau he can leave in January.



- Reading have joined Newcastle United and Inter Milan in the chase to sign Douglas, the FC Twente defender.



- Reading are close to signing Australia international Tom Rogic to help bolster the options in central midfield.



- West Bromwich boss Steve Clarke has told £4m-rated midfielder Graham Dorrans he can quit the Hawthorns in the transfer window.



- Stoke City and Fulham are locked in a three-way battle with Serie A side Udinese to sign Saint-Etienne left-back Faouzi Ghoulam.



- Wigan will complete the loan signing of Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Joel in the coming days.



- West Ham are poised to make their first signing in the January transfer window with teenage sensation Rinor Nushi set to arrive at the club.



- Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole is undergoing a medical at West Ham United, according to SkySports.



- Angelo Henriquez is determined to use his time at Wigan to prove himself in the Premier League after joining the Latics on loan until the end of the season.



- Blackburn Rovers have completed the signing of Norwegian international Joshua King from Manchester United for a fee of £1million.



- Hull City are set to complete the permanent signing of Republic of Ireland international David Meyler in a £1.5million deal from Sunderland.



- Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to confirm his future lies with Real Madrid but insists for now he is happy with the club.



- Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has ruled out selling winger Arda Turan in the January transfer window, after the Turk was linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.



- Celta Vigo have signed Eintracht Frankfurt defender Vadim Demidov on loan until the end of the season.



- Inter Milan are ready to battle with Serie A rivals Lazio for the signature of Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.



- One of Europe's leading football agents believes Manchester City and Chelsea target Edinson Cavani will leave Napoli in the summer - and has already chosen his favoured destination.



- Napoli are set to open the bidding for Southampton target Davide Astori.



- Defender Salvatore Aronica has pledged to do all he can to keep Palermo in Serie A after swapping a bid for the Scudetto for a scrap against relegation.



- Mauro Zarate's agent has declared 'war' on Lazio president Claudio Lotito after the club slapped a hefty price-tag on him.



- Borussia Dortmund would be glad to offer Nuri Sahin a return to the club if he became available at the right price, according to the Bundesliga club's director of sport Michael Zorc.



- Schalke contract rebel Lewis Holtby is keen on a move to Tottenham - if Andre Villas-Boas pushes through his interest this month.



- Fernandinho has played down speculation linking him with a move to English football by insisting he is committed to Shakhtar Donetsk.



- Alessandro Del Piero has rubbished suggestions that he could make a shock exit from A-League side Sydney FC, following a string of poor results.



- FC Dynamo Kyiv have signed defender Domagoj Vida from GNK Dinamo Zagreb.



- Sheffield Wednesday have tied midfielder Liam Palmer down to a new two-and-a-half-year deal, before loaning him straight back to Tranmere.



- Fleetwood Town have completed the signings of midfielders Gareth Evans and Mozesh Gyorio.



- Rotherham have completed the permanent signing of Peterborough midfielder Lee Frecklington.

Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Newcastle striker Demba Ba, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, has hinted at a move to the Gunners, telling Canal+: "Arsenal are one of these teams who make you dream. The press know Arsenal need another striker and also know about my release clause, and make their own mind up about it."



- Chelsea will launch a £20million bid for Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini when the transfer window opens next month, according to the Daily Mail.



- Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has 15 days to decide whether to join AC Milan, according to reports in Italy.



- Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has offered no guarantees that Frank Lampard will see out the season at Stamford Bridge.



- Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic is 'flattered' by reports suggesting he will be targeted by Chelsea as a replacement for Frank Lampard.



- Theo Walcott's contract stand-off at Arsenal will not be resolved before the winter transfer window closes at the end of January, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Arsenal target Karim Benzema has no intention of leaving Real Madrid, according to reports in his native France.



- Arsene Wenger is eyeing up a transfer window swoop for Barcelona's out-of-favour right-back Dani Alves, according to Dailymail.



- Everton ace Seamus Coleman is close to agreeing a new deal at Goodison Park.



- Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall believes defender Leighton Baines could be the player to be sacrificed in order to fund the club’s bid for Champions League football.



- Manchester City target Stevan Jovetic is flattered by the Premier League champions' reported interest and admits his future is uncertain.



- Manchester City are considering a move for David Villa - possibly as a January replacement for Mario Balotelli, according to reports in Spain.



- Kolo Toure would welcome the opportunity to prolong his association with Premier League champions Manchester City.



- Corinthians midfielder Paulinho, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, has reiterated his desire to remain with the newly-crowned Club World Cup champions.



- Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo are top of mega-wealthy Paris Saint-Germain's wishlist.



- Liverpool have been warned that Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland won't come cheap, with manager Lee Clark telling to theDaily Mirror: "We would be looking for an even more substantial figure than we were offered in the summer - even though I certainly don’t want it to come to that."



- Speaking to talkSPORT, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged his old club to sign Atletico Madrid forward Radamel Falcao in January to get the best out of Fernando Torres.



- Barcelona have announced they have signed Lionel Messi to a new long-term deal, while Xavi and Carles Puyol have also penned new deals.



- Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore has opened the door to a possible move to Serie A club AC Milan after criticising the French media.



- Roma president James Pallotta claims star midfielder Daniele De Rossi will, under no circumstances, be sold in January.



- Fernando Llorente has once again hinted he could be bound for the Premier League in the New Year.



- Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen claims there is no substance to reports linking him with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.



- Robbie Keane has made it clear that he intends to use the next few months to recharge his batteries and get ready for the new Major League Soccer season, rather than take in a spell on loan in the Premier League.



- São Paulo have completed the signing of the former Inter and Juventus defender Lúcio. The official São Paulo website confirmed the defender has signed a two year contract with the club.



- That hardy perennial of the transfer window Wesley Sneijder is set to spark another set of rumours after he embarked upon his Christmas break ahead of schedule.



- Nottingham Forest striker Matt Derbyshire wants a permanent move away from the City Ground.



- Manager Stale Solbakken has confirmed Wolves have opened contract negotiations with Christophe Berra.



- Derby have recalled teenage defender Valentin Gjokaj from his loan spell at Carlisle.



- Preston have completed the signing of former Rotherham defender Luke Foster on non-contract terms.



- Mexico defender Diego Reyes has signed a five-year contract with Porto and will move to the Estadio do Dragao for an undisclosed fee in the northern summer.



- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that he expects a lot of interest in Vegard Forren during the transfer window, but says there have not yet been any bids.



- Sporting Kansas City announced Tuesday that it has signed striker Claudio Bieler as a Designated Player.

Pardew hits out at Chelsea owner

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has blasted Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for sacking Roberto Di Matteo.



Di Matteo was dumped as Chelsea manager after the 3-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus on Tuesday.



Abramovich is now looking for the London club's ninth manager in nine years, with Chelsea's passage through to the knock-out stages no longer in their own hands.



Pardew was in disbelief about the sacking and believed football fans would feel the same way.



"Astonished really. It just goes to show you how precarious we are as Premier League managers and you can't take anything for granted," Pardew said.



"The shock that should be there from the fans and the media should sound something to the owner of that football club (Roman Abramovich).



"I don't know if that's their ninth manager or whatever it is in so many short years, it's just not fair."



Pardew stood by Di Matteo and believes the club should have too, citing the Italian's Champions League and FA Cup victories last season.



"As far as I'm concerned he (Roberto Di Matteo) has done absolutely nothing wrong. The philosophy was to change the look of the team which he's tried to do and he's won two competitions in less than a year, so it's unbelievable," he said.



Meanwhile, Pardew said midfielder Yohan Cabaye requires surgery on a groin injury sustained against West Ham on November 11.



The 26-year-old limped off at the end of the clash and subsequently missed the 2-1 home defeat to Swansea on Saturday.



And Pardew is rueing the loss of the France international as his side bid to overcome their sluggish start to the Premier League season.



"(Cabaye) will definitely have an operation, and we think it's going to be on Friday or Monday, I'm not sure. That's a blow to us because he's a top player for us," he told reporters.



Pardew also expressed concern over Shola Ameobi's fitness ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Maritimo.



He added: "The only one we are a little bit concerned about is Shola. He's got a slight groin niggle, so we are going to have to see how he shapes up for Thursday's game."

Europa League round-up

• Reigning champions Atletico Madrid are all but through to the knockout stages after a 2-1 win over Academica.
  


• Goals from Diego Costa and Emre saw the Spanish side home despite a late Salim Cisse consolation.
  


• Dnipro also retain a 100% record with a 3-1 win over Napoli, as do Lyon thanks to Jimmy Briand's late goal in their 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao.
  


• But Marseille, who had topped their group, slipped to third after losing 2-0 away to Borussia Monchengladbach.
  


• Watch Europa League highlights HERE.

GROUP A



Liverpool head the group after a crucial 1-0 win over Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, thanks to a Stewart Downing strike after 53 minutes.

Udinese suffered a shock 3-1 defeat away to bottom side Young Boys in Switzerland with Raul Bobadilla grabbing a stunning hat-trick.



GROUP B



Reigning champions Atletico Madrid maintained their 100% record with a 2-1 win over Academica, Diego Costa and Emre Belozoglu netting before Salim Cisse hit a late consolation.

Plzen moved clear in second with a 2-1 win at Hapoel Tel Aviv. Frantisek Rajtoral hit the late winner before home defender I'yad Hutba was sent off.



GROUP C



Egeman Korkmaz scored in the 72nd minute to give Fenerbahce a 1-0 win at AEL Limassol and move them top.

Marseille, who started the night heading the table, lost 2-0 at Borussia Monchengladbach. The result moves the Germans level with their opponents on four points, with the Turkish side now out in front on seven.



GROUP D



Newcastle strengthened their hold on the group, winger Gabriel Obertan giving them a 1-0 win over Club Bruges, while second-placed Bordeaux were held 1-1 at Maritimo.

Yoan Gouffran's opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Roberge Valentin six minutes later.



GROUP E



Steaua Bucharest extended their lead at the top as goals from Vlad Chiriches and Raul Rusescu gave them a 2-0 win over Molde.

Group rivals Stuttgart and FC Copenhagen played out a goalless draw in Germany.



GROUP F



Raul Bobadilla (left) scored an impressive hat-trick as Young Boys overcame Udinese.

Dnipro went five points clear at the top with a 3-1 win over Napoli in Ukraine - Artem Fedetskiy, Matheus and Giuliano scoring before Edinson Cavani replied with a late consolation.

PSV Eindhoven and AIK drew 1-1 in Holland with Kwame Karikari putting the previously pointless Swedes in front on the hour before Jeremain Lens equalised with 10 minutes to go.



GROUP G



Elyaniv Barda headed a late winner as Genk stayed unbeaten at the top of the group after coming from behind to see off Sporting Lisbon 2-1 in Belgium. Barda struck with three minutes to go after Sporting's Khalid Boulahrouz was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Hungarians Videoton beat Basle 2-1 with Fabien Schar atoning for an early own goal by scoring at the right end in injury time.



GROUP H



Rodrigo Palacio headed home an 88th-minute winner as Inter Milan saw off Partizan Belgrade at the San Siro and all but booked their place in the knockout stages.

Inter are now joint top on seven points with Rubin Kazan. Alan Kasaev's 16th-minute goal proved enough to see off Azerbaijan side Neftci in Russia.



GROUP I



Rodrigo Palacio (left) scored an 88th-minute winner for Inter Milan over Partizan Belgrade.

Lyon maintained their 100% record with a 2-1 win over last year's beaten finalists Athletic Bilbao . A Lisandro Lopez opener was cancelled out by Ibai Gomez before Jimmy Briand struck the winner four minutes from time.

Goals from Ladislav Krejci, Vaclav Kadlec and Ondrej Svejdik helped Sparta Prague to a 3-1 win over Hapoel Kiryat Shmona. Lyon now ead the group on nine points with Sparta clear in second on six.



GROUP J



It took a Jose Toche injury time equaliser for Panathinaikos to draw 1-1 with Lazio in Group J. An earlier own goal from defender Giourkas Seitaridis looked set to give the Italians the points before Toche's final touch.

Gylfi Sigurdsson earned Tottenham a point in a 1-1 draw at Maribor, who led through Robert Beric. Lazio remain unbeaten on five points with Maribor in second, but all four sides in the group are still in the running.



GROUP K



Bonfim Marlos and Cleiton Xavier gave Ukrainians Metalist Kharkiv a 2-1 win at Rosenborg after the Norwegians had led through Tarik Elyounoussi's 46th-minute strike.

But Metalist Kharkiv still conceded top spot in the group to Bayer Leverkusen, whose impressive 4-0 win at Rapid Vienna took them first on goal difference.



GROUP L



Hannover stay top after a 2-1 win at Helsingborg. Mame Biram Diouf opened the scoring for the Germans with Alvaro Santos equalising in injury time, only for Didier Ya Konan to restore Hannover's advantage in the third minute of added time.

Levante moved clear in second place with a 3-0 win over Twente, a Michel penalty followed by Pedro Rios adding a late double.

Toon talk to Swedish ace

Newcastle are believed to have already opened talks with PSV Eindhoven over a potential move for striker Ola Toivonen.



The Magpies are tracking the 25-year-old Sweden international who played against England at Euro 2012 and although an offer has yet to be made, reports in Holland say initial talks have taken place.



Toon boss Alan Pardew is on the look out for a new striker and is known to be keen on FC Twente star Luuk de Jong, however Toivonen would be a much cheaper option at £5million.



As usual a host of clubs, including Sunderland, have also been linked with a move for the Swede but Newcastle are likely to be favourites if Pardew pursues his interest.



Toivonen has a contract until 2014 but says he is open to a move should PSV decide to sell.



"If something interesting comes along, I will look into it," he revealed. "There are rumours, but I have learned to live with them. I don't know which clubs are really interested."



Much will also depend on the future of Demba Ba, who is set to hold talks with Pardew when the Magpies return for pre-season training next week.

Pardew wants to strengthen

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has insisted he is concentrating on arrivals rather than departures in the summer transfer market.



The 50-year-old has spent the weeks since the end of the last Barclays Premier League season reading speculation that some of his biggest names could be lured away from Tyneside. However, while the release clause in striker Demba Ba's contract makes him particularly vulnerable, Pardew and his staff are spending their time assessing the targets they have rather than worrying about who might leave.



The manager told the Evening Chronicle: "We haven't lost anybody yet, despite all of the speculation. We are working to bring in a couple of people to improve the squad. (Owner) Mike (Ashley) has made it clear he is committed to the club and we are working through the process of bringing players in."



The likes of Tim Krul, Cheick Tiote, Hatem Ben Arfa and Ba have been linked with other clubs already this summer having starred in the Magpies' fifth-place finish last season.



But Newcastle have their own targets and are keen to make progress with FC Twente striker Luuk de Jong and Lille's France international full-back Mathieu Debuchy.



Pardew said: "Myself and (chief scout) Graham Carr are keeping an eye on the players we have been tracking during Euro 2012 and seeing how they have performed."

Magpies rubbish Ba reports

Sky Sports understands that reports claiming Demba Ba has left Newcastle and signed for Galatasaray are wide of the mark.



Italian media reported on Thursday that the Senegal international was on his way out of St James' Park.



Speculation suggested that a deal had been agreed with Turkish outfit Galatasaray.



It is common knowledge that Ba has a clause in his contract that can be activated up until 31st July.



Interested parties can trigger that clause by matching a pre-determined transfer fee.



Ba has offered little indication as to where he sees his future, leaving Newcastle sweating on his continued involvement on Tyneside.



The Magpies have, however, dismissed rumours that have suggested a deal has been done with Galatasaray and insist that the striker, who netted 16 times during his debut season for the club in 2011/12, is not for sale.

Papiss Demba Cisse to miss out on goal of the season

DESPITE his wonder-strike against Chelsea last night, Newcastle star Papiss Demba Cisse is set to miss out on having his effort named goal of the season.



The Senegalese hit-man may have the backing of Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and One Direction's Niall Horan, but punters have decided the goal still doesn't match up to other contenders.



After bamboozling Chelsea keeper Petr Cech with his bending shot at Stamford Bridge, Cisse was hailed by a number of famous faces on Twitter.



"Wow just seen cisses goal. Goal of the season for me," wrote Rooney, whilst pop star Niall added: "Papiss cisse take a bow son! Legend ! Serious goals !"



But despite also leaving BBC commentator Steve Claridge speechless, Cisse is still yet to displace Peter Crouch's effort for Stoke against Manchester City as favourite with bookies William Hill.



Cisse's strike against Chelsea is second favourite for the traditional end-of-season Match of the Day competition, whilst Luis Suarez's recent halfway line effort against Norwich is third.



Any other goal, including Robin van Persie's volley against Everton and Ben Arfa's mazy dribble, are ready to be backed at 16/1.



William Hill BBC Match Of The Day Goal of the Season:



10/11 Peter Crouch;



6/5 Papiss Cisse;



6/1 Luis Suarez;



16/1 Any other



Papiss Cisse Goal vs Chelsea





Peter Crouch Goal vs Man City



Peter Crouch Goal vs Man City par World Football

West Brom job - the contenders

Roy Hodgson has been named the new England manager, leaving a vacancy at Barclays Premier League club West Brom.



Here, we look at the possible contenders to replace Hodgson at the Hawthorns next season.



CHRIS HUGHTON



Hughton came close to replacing Roberto Di Matteo at West Brom when he was sacked by Newcastle 15 months ago.



The 53-year-old, who is currently in charge of Birmingham, was interviewed for the post before Hodgson was offered the job. Hughton is now believed to be one of the favourites for the role after steering Birmingham to the npower Championship play-offs despite losing most of last season's relegated squad.



ROBERTO MARTINEZ



Wigan manager Martinez looks on course to stave off relegation for the second season in succession for the north west club after a late surge in form, which could make him an attractive option for West Brom.



However, Latics owner Dave Whelan, who is a staunch supporter of the Spaniard, has publicly given him his backing on several occasions and wants to keep Martinez at the club despite his ever-increasing reputation.



MICHAEL APPLETON



Portsmouth manager Appleton is no stranger to the Hawthorns having worked alongside Di Matteo and Hodgson at the West Midlands club.



The 36-year-old was expected to take over from Hodgson before he moved to Fratton Park last November and could be tempted back to the Black Country as Pompey, who are currently in administration, have been relegated to npower League One and will be facing pressure to trim their wage bill in the summer.



STEVE BRUCE



Bruce is currently available following his sacking from Sunderland last November after a string of poor results.



The 51-year-old had been linked with the role of Wolves manager following the departure of Mick McCarthy and could be tempted by the position at West Brom now Wolves have been relegated to the Championship.



MALKY MACKAY



Cardiff boss Mackay has guided the Welsh club into the Championship play-offs in his first season in charge but could be an outside bet to move to the Hawthorns if the Bluebirds do not secure promotion to the Premier League.



Mackay has also led Cardiff to their first ever Carling Cup final in a successful season, however, he signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2016 which could put him out of the running.



SAM ALLARDYCE



Like Mackay, West Ham manager Allardyce has led his side to the Championship play-offs after his first season in charge.



If the Hammers fail to secure top-flight football next season, Allardyce could also be interested in making the switch to the Hawthorns.



MICK McCARTHY



Former Wolves manager McCarthy is available after he was sacked from West Brom's rivals in February following a string of poor league results.



McCarthy spent five and a half years at Molineux before his dismissal, and this in itself might rule him out of replacing Hodgson at the Hawthorns due to popular pressure from Baggies fans and he would be a leftfield appointment.