Albion's capture of Liam Ridgewell is, for now, a short-term fix.
But it could just develop into an audition for something more substantial further down the line.
Ridgewell's loan move from MLS champions Portland Timbers until mid-February has instantaneous triple value for the Seagulls.
He can cover both the centre-half and left-back positions, where the squad has been severely stretched by injuries.
Albion are also acquiring a strong, lively character with a wealth of Premier League experience at a time when the dressing room is in need of a tonic after a barren run of results.
And somebody keen, eventually, on returning to England following his stint in the States.
Ridgewell said: "I've only got a year left at Timbers, so it's wait and see really, wait and see who wants me. It might be no-one, it might be everyone.
"At some point I'd love to come back to England. I've got my two kids here and family are still here. The kids have not moved out with me so obviously I'll be coming back to see them and settle down in England at some point.
"We'll wait and see who is waiting around when I come back I suppose."
There is likely to be a queue. Ridgewell will only be 32 when his American adventure ends, with a few good seasons left in a player who has made around 300 appearances in the Premier League and Championship for Aston Villa, Birmingham, West Brom and Wigan, where he had a similar loan spell a year ago.
He swapped England for Major League Soccer, a path also taken at more advanced stages in their careers by Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Robbie Keane, in June 2014 after West Brom released him.
On the pitch, it has worked out perfectly. Ridgewell has just led the north-west American franchise of Portland to unprecedented success.
Off the field, it has been challenging for the father of a seven-year-old daughter, Eva, and ten-year-old son Luca.
Ridgewell said: "If you can take your family and everyone with you then it's fantastic. It's very tough being on your own. The good thing I've had is Portland have been fantastic with me. I've loved it.
"They have welcomed me with open arms but to travel that far is very tough. I think we will see a lot more players going over there and experiencing it for sure.
"The one thing they want to do now is bring their own crop of US players coming through, start their academies and their own stuff, like we have done here, and try to group that with experienced Premier League and Championship players.
"It's a very good style of football. Every team tries to play out from the back. Every now and again you get teams who might want to go a bit longer but most of the time teams want to play nice football.
"Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes playing pretty isn't all good but the standard of football is certainly higher than I thought when I went there. It's always nice to play pretty football - as long as you are winning."
Ridgewell has always been a bit of an extrovert risk-taker. In August 2007 he moved to Birmingham from Aston Villa for £2 million, the first player to make the short, cross-city journey since Des Bremner in 1984.
"I try to be as vocal as possible and give my opinion when needed and try to help people out and enjoy what I do," he said.
"I moved from Villa to Birmingham. It was a tricky move. I had to move house to make sure I went to the Blues side and stuff like that. It was certainly different but when I made that move everyone was fantastic.
"I never had any troubles people thought I might have. It was a really good move for me.
"I'm sure they (Albion) are getting a little bit of a character. I like to enjoy myself and just enjoy what we do, there's no point doing it otherwise."
Ridgewell reckons the current crop at Villa, stranded at the foot of the Premier League, could do with a few nights out to bond them together for their relegation fight.
"It's always good for team morale, a nice night out," he said with a smile. "They need to try and get the team together, try and get that morale back.
"We talked about that winning mentality. It is a big thing. And that confidence. Once that confidence goes you lose it a little bit. It is always tough to get back. They're in a tough situation."
Ridgewell walked into a relegation battle himself at Wigan last winter. There are no such clouds at Albion. He is looking up and he is eager to help get the promotion challenge back on track.
The Capital One Cup winner with Birmingham in 2011 is likely to make his debut tomorrow at Hull in the FA Cup, the competition he made his debut in for Villa 13 years ago and in which he also, during his time at St Andrews, scored a stoppage time winner against Derby to book a quarter-final spot.
"I didn't want to just come in and be a bit-part," Ridgewell said. "I want to try and help as much as I can. It's six games or what ever it is, I want to try and help the club and put us back on the right path.
"Hopefully with my experience and what I can bring to the club I can do that.
"It's a short space of time to try and stamp your name on it but I've done it before. I know a lot of the boys, so it makes it a lot easier."
Ridgewell worked under manager Chris Hughton at Birmingham, came through the Kent county junior ranks with Andrew Crofts and has played several times against Bobby Zamora.
He said: "There were a few other clubs interested but nobody really stamped their name on it. I spoke to Chris a few times and he was keen to do it. I was keen to stay local to the family in Bexleyheath, so it wasn't a big decision.
"Once I knew Chris was involved and the calibre of club involved it wasn't difficult at all.
"It was a long, tough season in the MLS but last year (with Wigan) when I came back I trained a little bit and then got into games quite quickly. And I felt okay.
"I've had a little bit of time off over Christmas and enjoyed it, probably a bit more than anyone else, but I get back into it quite quickly.
"I think the last game (for Portland) was December 6th. It's not like I've had a long break over pre-season but I feel great. It doesn’t take me that long to get going. I'm quite a fit guy, quite lucky in that respect."
Albion and Hughton might end up being lucky too. They know exactly what they are getting with Ridgewell. It is starting out as just a fling but it could just turn into a longer term relationship.
Original article
But it could just develop into an audition for something more substantial further down the line.
Ridgewell's loan move from MLS champions Portland Timbers until mid-February has instantaneous triple value for the Seagulls.
He can cover both the centre-half and left-back positions, where the squad has been severely stretched by injuries.
Albion are also acquiring a strong, lively character with a wealth of Premier League experience at a time when the dressing room is in need of a tonic after a barren run of results.
And somebody keen, eventually, on returning to England following his stint in the States.
Ridgewell said: "I've only got a year left at Timbers, so it's wait and see really, wait and see who wants me. It might be no-one, it might be everyone.
"At some point I'd love to come back to England. I've got my two kids here and family are still here. The kids have not moved out with me so obviously I'll be coming back to see them and settle down in England at some point.
"We'll wait and see who is waiting around when I come back I suppose."
There is likely to be a queue. Ridgewell will only be 32 when his American adventure ends, with a few good seasons left in a player who has made around 300 appearances in the Premier League and Championship for Aston Villa, Birmingham, West Brom and Wigan, where he had a similar loan spell a year ago.
He swapped England for Major League Soccer, a path also taken at more advanced stages in their careers by Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Robbie Keane, in June 2014 after West Brom released him.
On the pitch, it has worked out perfectly. Ridgewell has just led the north-west American franchise of Portland to unprecedented success.
Off the field, it has been challenging for the father of a seven-year-old daughter, Eva, and ten-year-old son Luca.
Ridgewell said: "If you can take your family and everyone with you then it's fantastic. It's very tough being on your own. The good thing I've had is Portland have been fantastic with me. I've loved it.
"They have welcomed me with open arms but to travel that far is very tough. I think we will see a lot more players going over there and experiencing it for sure.
"The one thing they want to do now is bring their own crop of US players coming through, start their academies and their own stuff, like we have done here, and try to group that with experienced Premier League and Championship players.
"It's a very good style of football. Every team tries to play out from the back. Every now and again you get teams who might want to go a bit longer but most of the time teams want to play nice football.
"Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes playing pretty isn't all good but the standard of football is certainly higher than I thought when I went there. It's always nice to play pretty football - as long as you are winning."
Ridgewell has always been a bit of an extrovert risk-taker. In August 2007 he moved to Birmingham from Aston Villa for £2 million, the first player to make the short, cross-city journey since Des Bremner in 1984.
"I try to be as vocal as possible and give my opinion when needed and try to help people out and enjoy what I do," he said.
"I moved from Villa to Birmingham. It was a tricky move. I had to move house to make sure I went to the Blues side and stuff like that. It was certainly different but when I made that move everyone was fantastic.
"I never had any troubles people thought I might have. It was a really good move for me.
"I'm sure they (Albion) are getting a little bit of a character. I like to enjoy myself and just enjoy what we do, there's no point doing it otherwise."
Ridgewell reckons the current crop at Villa, stranded at the foot of the Premier League, could do with a few nights out to bond them together for their relegation fight.
"It's always good for team morale, a nice night out," he said with a smile. "They need to try and get the team together, try and get that morale back.
"We talked about that winning mentality. It is a big thing. And that confidence. Once that confidence goes you lose it a little bit. It is always tough to get back. They're in a tough situation."
Ridgewell walked into a relegation battle himself at Wigan last winter. There are no such clouds at Albion. He is looking up and he is eager to help get the promotion challenge back on track.
The Capital One Cup winner with Birmingham in 2011 is likely to make his debut tomorrow at Hull in the FA Cup, the competition he made his debut in for Villa 13 years ago and in which he also, during his time at St Andrews, scored a stoppage time winner against Derby to book a quarter-final spot.
"I didn't want to just come in and be a bit-part," Ridgewell said. "I want to try and help as much as I can. It's six games or what ever it is, I want to try and help the club and put us back on the right path.
"Hopefully with my experience and what I can bring to the club I can do that.
"It's a short space of time to try and stamp your name on it but I've done it before. I know a lot of the boys, so it makes it a lot easier."
Ridgewell worked under manager Chris Hughton at Birmingham, came through the Kent county junior ranks with Andrew Crofts and has played several times against Bobby Zamora.
He said: "There were a few other clubs interested but nobody really stamped their name on it. I spoke to Chris a few times and he was keen to do it. I was keen to stay local to the family in Bexleyheath, so it wasn't a big decision.
"Once I knew Chris was involved and the calibre of club involved it wasn't difficult at all.
"It was a long, tough season in the MLS but last year (with Wigan) when I came back I trained a little bit and then got into games quite quickly. And I felt okay.
"I've had a little bit of time off over Christmas and enjoyed it, probably a bit more than anyone else, but I get back into it quite quickly.
"I think the last game (for Portland) was December 6th. It's not like I've had a long break over pre-season but I feel great. It doesn’t take me that long to get going. I'm quite a fit guy, quite lucky in that respect."
Albion and Hughton might end up being lucky too. They know exactly what they are getting with Ridgewell. It is starting out as just a fling but it could just turn into a longer term relationship.
Original article