Albion will have to pay a high price to pursue their interest in Reading central defender Liam Moore.

The Royals are reportedly holding out for £15 million for the 25-year-old after the Seagulls tabled a bid.

Reading boss Paul Clement told the Reading Chronicle: “The club don’t want to sell Liam.

“We don’t want to sell any centre-back. Hopefully that will be the case.

“Liam is a really good player. He did really well all last season and in the eight games that I was here and he will be a big part of us moving forward.”

Moore’s value reduces the chances of Albion completing a deal.

Another central defender is a priority for manager Chris Hughton - but primarily as additional cover and competition for the established partnership of Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy.

The Seagulls have already signed Nigerian World Cup stopper Leon Balogun after losing Uwe Huenemeier back to Paderborn in Germany and Connor Goldson to Glasgow Rangers.

The Argus revealed on Tuesday that Duffy faces a race to be fit for Albion’s opening Premier League fixture at Watford on August 11 following surgery on a groin injury aggravated on end-of-season international duty with the Republic of Ireland.

Hughton said: “You have always got to look to have competition. It’s normal when you have a settled team that players will be earmarked as regulars, but it changes.

“That’s why you need competition, players that are going to push the ones that have been regulars.

“But it’s never easy bringing in players. Sometimes the timing is right. Probably on most occasions with any transfer they tend to drag on.

“Clubs are reluctant to release a player early when they might get a better deal from somebody else.”