Albion are in an awkward situation with Leo Ulloa.

They are understandably reluctant to lose their talismanic target man to Leicester City.

It will be very hard to replace not only his goals but also his hold-up and link-up play and aerial contribution defending set pieces.

But there is a flip side to Leicester's persistent pursuit of Ulloa.

The Seagulls run the risk of ending up with a disillusioned player if they price him out of his dream to play in the Premier League.

Four bids from the Foxes have been rejected so far, the latest last week for £6.25 million.

Leicester are expected to submit a fifth bid of £7 million and are said to be confident of eventually landing their top transfer target.

So what is a fair price for Ulloa?

Leicester are in the right ball park already. They are not prepared to meet the reported £10 million asking price and you can understand why. That has the whiff of an inflated figure for a player uproven in the top flight.

What about the £11 million Fulham have forked out for Leeds United hotshot Ross McCormack, I hear you cry?

McCormack was top scorer in the Championship last season with 28 goals.

That is twice as many as Ulloa scored, albeit his tally was inhibited by a two-and-a-half month injury absence.

Ulloa attracted Premier League interest in the previous two transfer windows.

He loves the club and the area but has become frustrated at seeing his chances of reaching the Premier League with the Seagulls eroded by what he regards as a lack of investment in the squad.

If he stays because the price on his head is too high then Albion could find themselves in circumstances as uncomfortable as endeavouring to replace him.