Albion's signing of Tomer Hemed has provoked comparisons with the wrong player.

All the talk is the extent to which Hemed will live up to Leo Ulloa, since the Seagulls purchased both of them from Spanish club Almeria.

The real issue is how much more sense it makes buying Hamed than bringing Bobby Zamora back to the club.

Speculation has been rife all summer about Zamora returning.

The Argus has detached itself from the fuss with good reason - because it is without substance.

You never say never. If, approaching the end of the transfer window, Albion have landed their targets, if Zamora is still available by then and if he is prepared to come on a pay-as-you-play basis and there is still room in the budget, then and only then there might be a chance of it happening.

That is an awful lot of improbable ifs for Zamora to ever wear the blue and white stripes again.

Contrary to what you may have read or heard elsewhere Zamora is not on the target list. There has been no formal contact, no contract offer, and he has not been at the training ground for talks.

In my book that is just as well. A bit of perspective is needed.

Zamora is 35 in January. Not surprisingly, he has become more prone to injuries.

Since leaving his adoring Albion public after plundering 76 goals in 125 League games the ratio has diminished appreciably.

You would expect it to, playing at a higher level, but 47 goals in 252 Premier League appearances for Spurs, West Ham, QPR and Fulham is hardly prolific, less than one every five games.

He has scored ten in 51 outings in the Championship for West Ham and QPR, none in eight for England at senior and under-21 level.

I am not knocking his achievements. He has had a good career at the highest level. I am just questioning whether a move back to Albion would be good for him or the club.

Never say never, never go back either. Zamora would run the risk of tarnishing the memory of his glorious first spell.

Remove that previous link from his CV and those supporters among the fanbase clamouring for his return would be demanding to know why Albion would even contemplate signing a veteran target man with fitness issues and a modest goal record.

The finances do not stack up either. Zamora would have to be prepared to take a gigantic pay-cut. Albion would have to sell thousands and thousands of replica shirts bearing his name to even begin to justify the outlay.

Chances are Zamora will be taken on by a Premier League club for a bit-part role or grab one last lucrative pay day abroad. Good luck to him if that turns out to be the case.

What of Hemed? The Israeli international is six years younger than Zamora.

Playing in Spain's equivalent of the Premier League, La Liga, he has scored 27 goals in 72 starts for Almeria and Mallorca, better than a goal every three games.

Hemed has also hit ten goals in 15 appearances for his country, including one in World Cup qualifying against Portugal, another in Euro qualifying against Croatia.

Is he any good? The Youtube clips suggest he is but they would, wouldn't they? For now we must trust in the judgement of manager Chris Hughton, who was aware of him when he was at Norwich, and the recruitment team, who plotted the seven-figure deal to bring him to England for months.

They cannot be sure either, such is the nature of the transfer beast. There are so many variables. Will he settle? Will he get injured? Will he get the service he needs? Will he be part of a thriving or struggling side?

That all remains to be seen. It is asking an awful lot for Hemed to match up to Ulloa - but he looks a much better bet than Zamora.