Albion are weighing up whether to make a third bid for Virgil van Dijk or turn their attention to other centre-half targets before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday night.

The Seagulls made a second offer for van Dijk yesterday but it was again turned down by his club Groningen, as revealed on The Argus website.

Albion are desperate to sign a central defender after captain Gordon Greer was injured in Saturday’s FA Cup defeat by Arsenal.

Holland under-21 international van Dijk remains keen on a move to The Amex as the next step in his career, rather than signing for Everton, Newcastle or Sunderland.

Henk-Maarten Chin, van Dijk’s agent, told The Argus: “The clubs are talking and we’ll wait to see what is done between them.

“I don’t know if the differences in valuation can be resolved. All I know is Virgil is very enthusiastic about Brighton. He has been looking into the club. I am also enthusiastic about the way the management are doing things and the people at the club.

“The rest is up to Groningen and up to Brighton. They made a second bid, so obviously they are serious.”

Albion lodged a fresh bid for van Dijk yesterday after boss Gus Poyet flew out to Holland to watch him in Groningen’s 2-1 defeat by Nijmegen on Sunday.

Van Dijk is under contract until 2015 and the Dutch First Division club want to cling onto him until the summer to help their fight against relegation.

<p><b>Read the full story in The Argus today</b></p>