Albion boss Gus Poyet is still on the trail of Kazenga LuaLua, despite kicking off 2011 by signing a winger.

Craig Noone has joined the Seagulls from crisis-torn Plymouth Argyle for an undisclosed fee believed to be about £300,000.

He has signed a contract taking him through to the summer of 2014.

Noone operates down either flank and will be available for Monday’s trip to his former club Exeter City.

The 23-year-old Liverpudlian can add the sort of attacking flair on the left which has been missing since LuaLua suffered a broken leg in November.

But Poyet insists he is not necessarily a replacement for the Newcastle United prospect, who is currently recovering with his parent club. The Albion boss said: “It’s true Craig is a natural left-sided player and that is where Kazenga liked to play.

“But it’s not over. I want Kazenga LuaLua to come back and play for us. Remember Craig has been playing a lot on the right side as well.

“Imagine if an opponent comes here in the last two months of the season and really stays deep, trying to close the spaces because of the way we play. But you’ve got Craig on one side, Kazenga on one side and maybe Elliott Bennett behind the strikers.

“We’re still in the same situation with Kazenga. The only problem is he is not our player, he’s injured and we need to monitor the situation daily or weekly.

“But I need to make it clear. Even though we have got Craig Noone we still want Kazenga LuaLua at Brighton for three or four years."

Noone was unable to sign in time to face Leyton Orient today (1pm) and is cup-tied for next week's visit by Portsmouth.

But Poyet is relishing the options his new man will provide.

He said: "When Craig played against us this season he was on the right and complicated things for us so much in the first half we were maybe lucky in the second half he went to the left.

"He gives me options. When you have these different qualities it's up to the manager to pick the right ones."

Poyet highlighted the work of chief scout Zigor Aranalde and his colleagues for ensuring Noone was the man for Albion.

He added: "It's credit to the scouting system. They have been following the player, finding out how he is as a person, how he trains, everything he does, to confirm he was the right one."

Noone trained with his new team mates for the first time yesterday but has been told what to expect by former Argyle team mate Ashley Barnes.

He added: “I spoke to Ash. I kept in touch with him all the way through since he left Plymouth. "I've been asking him a few bits and bobs about Brighton and he said nothing but good things about the club so that was a big benefit for me as well.

"Promotion has got to be the aim with the position they are in now and have been for most of the season. Anything less and they would be gutted.”