ALBION transfer target Mark Waddington has been snapped up by Stoke City.

The 18-year-old midfield prospect is joining the Premier League club with Blackpool team-mate Dom Telford.

Albion tried to buy Waddington in January. They put in two offers for him on the last day of the transfer window and were prepared to pay around £100,000 but Blackpool refused to sell.

Waddington fractured a metatarsal in training a fortnight later, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, SC Heerenveen are the latest top flight Dutch club to show an interest in Albion goalkeeper target Niki Mäenpää.

FC Utrecht, Vitesse Arnhem and other English clubs are also keen on the Finnish international, identfied by the Seagulls as a candidate to compete with David Stockdale for the No.1 spot so that youngster Christian Walton can be sent out on loan.

Mäenpää's future will be resolved once his second division club VVV-Venlo end their season in the Dutch promotion and relegation play-offs.

They face NAC Breda over two legs tonight and on Monday for the chance to reach the third and final stage of the play-offs.