Albion's bid to land Finnish goalkeeper Niki Mäenpää is still in the melting pot.

The Seagulls and Championship rivals Nottingham Forest are heading the race for the free agent.

Mäenpää’s future is unlikely to be decided until after he has been on international duty later this month.

The 30-year-old flew to England this week for two days of talks with Forest chief Dougie Freedman.

They want the former VVV-Venlo shot-stopper to compete with Dutchman Dorus de Vries following Karl Darlow’s return to Newcastle.

Albion have maintained a strong interest in Mäenpää as an established challenger to David Stockdale so that teenager Christian Walton can be loaned out next season.

Mäenpää links up with the Finland squad next week for home matches against Estonia in a friendly on Tuesday and Hungary in a Euro qualifier four days later.

FC Utrecht and Vitesse Arnhem have already made contract offers to Mäenpää but his preferred choice is a move to England rather than remaining in Holland.

Albion and Forest are competing in a crowded Championship market for goalkeepers.

Reading and Birmingham need to fill vacancies following Premier League moves for Adam Federici and Darren Randolph to Bournemouth and West Ham respectively.