Albion were priced out of a move for a starting right-back at Euro 2012.

But Gus Poyet believes that proves they are scouring the world for new players.

The Albion boss has revealed he was tipped off to take a look at Theodor Gebre Selassie at Slovan Liberec during the winter.

He liked most of what he saw from the athletic Czech full-back with an Ethiopian father only to discover the player, 25, would probably cost £2 million.

Poyet said: “We started working on our options for next season a few months ago.

“He was one of the first right-backs we looked at. I liked him. He has plenty of qualities. He is very energetic, he goes forward.

“He has other things – which I won’t say – that are not so good. But he was an option.

“Unfortunately the price for us and for a right-back – with all due respect to that position – was too much.

“So we stopped watching him. We didn’t move at all for him.

“But we’ve got plenty of people around the world who recommend players. You pay attention to people you trust.

“This one was an agent who we’ve been in touch with for a long time.

“He brings plenty of players from that zone in Europe so we said we’d have a look at him."

Gebre Selassie could yet find a way to England.

Poyet added: “In general, agents don’t recommend players only to you. They recommend them to someone else as well. But it shows we are working around the world.”