It really is a no-brainer.
Wouldn't it be great if Albion could get Glenn Murray back?
It may well not be possible but it is worth a shot during the January transfer window.
Chris Hughton needs a goalscorer to replace Darren Bent following his return to Aston Villa and subsequent loan switch to Derby County.
They cost and Murray will not come cheap, but Albion have already eaten a large slice of humble pie.
The Argus understands the centre-forward they gave away three summers ago does feature somewhere on their wish list.
What you want and what you can get, as Hughton has pointed out, can be two entirely different things, especially in January. It is hard though to think of a better, more dependable option for Albion, midway through the season in their current uncomfortable situation at the wrong end of the Championship, than Murray.
They let him go - or rather Gus Poyet let him go - after he spearheaded the League One title winning campaign under the Uruguayan in the club's final season at Withdean in 2010-11 with 22 goals.
Murray, snapped up from Rochdale for £300,000, departed with an overall tally of 56 goals in 136 games in three-and-a-half impressive years.
Losing him was a mistake, which Poyet eventually handsomely rectified by landing Leo Ulloa.
Now the Argentinian has gone, to Leicester for a £6 million profit. The tactic, under the old recruitment team headed by David Burke, of trying to replace Ulloa with several strikers - Chris O'Grady, Sam Baldock and Adrian Colunga - has not paid off.
Albion do not necessarily need another imposing target man - Hughton does not have a specific type of striker in mind - but they could do with another big-hitter to provide the threat and goals which will haul them clear of trouble and offer hope further down the line of resurrecting a challenge again at the right end of the table.
Albion's loss was Crystal Palace's gain when Murray left. Their arch-rivals gobbled him up on a free transfer.
Poyet initially appeared to be vindicated as Albion bought Craig Mackail-Smith from Peterborough for a club-record transfer fee package in excess of £3 million.
Murray scored a modest seven goals in 43 games in his first season in the Championship with Palace, three fewer than Mackail-Smith managed in his debut campaign with the Seagulls.
Then, while Mackail-Smith's Albion career faltered on systems unsuited to his scurrying style and injury problems, Murray caught fire again. In 2012-13 he plundered 31 goals in 45 appearances.
A serious knee injury sustained during the first leg of the play-offs against Albion at Selhurst Park did not prevent Palace gaining promotion to the Premier League at the Seagulls' expense.
The injury, which ruled Murray out for nine months, left a question mark which has since been answered.
Murray was eased back, primarily via the bench, as the rescuing powers of Tony Pulis kept Palace in the Premier League last season.
He scored once in 14 appearances to earn a crucial point at Swansea.
The evidence this season suggests Murray's fitness is not an issue. Following three early outings for Palace, he was loaned to Reading in September by the successor to Pulis in Croydon, Neil Warnock.
He scored twice on his debut against Fulham, twice more against Albion at the Amex on Boxing Day. In total he scored eight goals in 18 games for Reading, increasing his overall Championship total to an eyecatching 44 in 98 outings.
Murray, for now, is back at Palace under new manager Alan Pardew. He played and was injured - not seriously - in Sunday's FA Cup win at Dover.
Reading had a clause to buy him in the loan agreement with Palace, for a figure believed to be £2.2 million. The clause has not so far been triggered.
Murray, 31 now and still living in Sussex, still has a couple of years at peak power left in him. He may well be unattainable. He may end up at Reading, Pardew may want to keep him at Palace.
Albion, boosted financially by the lucrative FA Cup fourth round visit of Arsenal more than a week before the window shuts, will be monitoring the situation closely. If there is the slightest chance of having Murray back they ought to grab it with both hands.
Original article
Wouldn't it be great if Albion could get Glenn Murray back?
It may well not be possible but it is worth a shot during the January transfer window.
Chris Hughton needs a goalscorer to replace Darren Bent following his return to Aston Villa and subsequent loan switch to Derby County.
They cost and Murray will not come cheap, but Albion have already eaten a large slice of humble pie.
The Argus understands the centre-forward they gave away three summers ago does feature somewhere on their wish list.
What you want and what you can get, as Hughton has pointed out, can be two entirely different things, especially in January. It is hard though to think of a better, more dependable option for Albion, midway through the season in their current uncomfortable situation at the wrong end of the Championship, than Murray.
They let him go - or rather Gus Poyet let him go - after he spearheaded the League One title winning campaign under the Uruguayan in the club's final season at Withdean in 2010-11 with 22 goals.
Murray, snapped up from Rochdale for £300,000, departed with an overall tally of 56 goals in 136 games in three-and-a-half impressive years.
Losing him was a mistake, which Poyet eventually handsomely rectified by landing Leo Ulloa.
Now the Argentinian has gone, to Leicester for a £6 million profit. The tactic, under the old recruitment team headed by David Burke, of trying to replace Ulloa with several strikers - Chris O'Grady, Sam Baldock and Adrian Colunga - has not paid off.
Albion do not necessarily need another imposing target man - Hughton does not have a specific type of striker in mind - but they could do with another big-hitter to provide the threat and goals which will haul them clear of trouble and offer hope further down the line of resurrecting a challenge again at the right end of the table.
Albion's loss was Crystal Palace's gain when Murray left. Their arch-rivals gobbled him up on a free transfer.
Poyet initially appeared to be vindicated as Albion bought Craig Mackail-Smith from Peterborough for a club-record transfer fee package in excess of £3 million.
Murray scored a modest seven goals in 43 games in his first season in the Championship with Palace, three fewer than Mackail-Smith managed in his debut campaign with the Seagulls.
Then, while Mackail-Smith's Albion career faltered on systems unsuited to his scurrying style and injury problems, Murray caught fire again. In 2012-13 he plundered 31 goals in 45 appearances.
A serious knee injury sustained during the first leg of the play-offs against Albion at Selhurst Park did not prevent Palace gaining promotion to the Premier League at the Seagulls' expense.
The injury, which ruled Murray out for nine months, left a question mark which has since been answered.
Murray was eased back, primarily via the bench, as the rescuing powers of Tony Pulis kept Palace in the Premier League last season.
He scored once in 14 appearances to earn a crucial point at Swansea.
The evidence this season suggests Murray's fitness is not an issue. Following three early outings for Palace, he was loaned to Reading in September by the successor to Pulis in Croydon, Neil Warnock.
He scored twice on his debut against Fulham, twice more against Albion at the Amex on Boxing Day. In total he scored eight goals in 18 games for Reading, increasing his overall Championship total to an eyecatching 44 in 98 outings.
Murray, for now, is back at Palace under new manager Alan Pardew. He played and was injured - not seriously - in Sunday's FA Cup win at Dover.
Reading had a clause to buy him in the loan agreement with Palace, for a figure believed to be £2.2 million. The clause has not so far been triggered.
Murray, 31 now and still living in Sussex, still has a couple of years at peak power left in him. He may well be unattainable. He may end up at Reading, Pardew may want to keep him at Palace.
Albion, boosted financially by the lucrative FA Cup fourth round visit of Arsenal more than a week before the window shuts, will be monitoring the situation closely. If there is the slightest chance of having Murray back they ought to grab it with both hands.
Original article