Albion loan stars could be back

11:33pm Wednesday 21st May 2008

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Matt Richards and Albion's other loan recruits could have a future at the club under Micky Adams.

Ipswich leftback Richards, Charlton's French midfielder Therry Racon and Leeds midfielder Ian Westlake were all borrowed by the Seagulls this season when Dean Wilkins was manager.

Adams spent hours last week studying DVDs of Albion matches and he is keeping an open mind about the trio now that he is back in charge.

He said: "All three are good players and I have seen enough of them to realise they would be decent acquisitions to the squad.

"Don't rule anything out and don't rule anything in but certainly I will be speaking to the Board about them. The thing is they are other people's players, so it's not really what I want but what they want and their clubs want."

Richards and former Albion leftback Dan Harding are among five players transfer-listed by Ipswich.

Both have a year left on their contracts at Portman Road and Ipswich boss Jim Magilton said: "We will listen to offers and see what that brings."

Adams is warning League One will be tougher for Albion to get out of next season. He believes there are more clubs with financial power operating in the third tier of English football than when he left the Seagulls for Leicester seven years ago.

Adams said: "There are bigger and better teams in the league now with wealthy benefactors. That wasn't the case then. People didn't really seem to want to buy clubs at that lower end.

"Now there are people like Pete Winkelman at MK Dons, Darragh MacAnthony at Peterborough, Ken Bates at Leeds, and Milan Mandaric at Leicester.

"There is a bit of money floating around in this League and a lot of teams will be desperate to get out of it next season and back into the Championship. I think it will be tougher league next season with the quality of the teams coming down and those coming up, especially MK and Peterborough."