ALBION are keen on Chelsea teenager Reece James.

But they face difficulties in turning interest in the powerful full-back into a deal.

James has starred in the Championship this season on loan to Wigan, helping them to safety.

The 19-year-old captained the Latics, where Albion keeper Christian Walton has also been on loan, to a closing win over Millwall.

The Seagulls would prefer to buy, not borrow, but Chelsea's Fifa ban from signing players in the next two transfer windows for a breach of youth player regulations increases the possibility of James staying put at Stamford Bridge.

Albion want to add more pace and athleticism across the squad in the summer transfer window, the first in which Dan Ashworth will be fully involved in recruitment as technical director following his move from the FA.

Boss Chris Hughton is prioritising forward areas after securing Premier League safety for the second year in succession in spite of a poor second half of the season.

Glenn Murray and central defender Shane Duffy have contributed 17 of the 34 goals – the same as last season's finishing total.

Murray's penalty earned a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.

The 35-year-old has scored 35% of Albion's goals since promotion, an influence bettered only by Leicester's Jamie Vardy (36%).

Hughton told The Argus: "We are never going to be the most over expansive team. We are playing in a very difficult league but the facts say offensively we've relied too much on Glenn and probably set plays and Shane.

"We need more goals from everybody else. Going forward, we have to give ourselves more opportunities to score goals.

"If we want to continue to develop we have to look at the areas and the areas are probably that extra forward, which ever type of player, maybe a different type of offensive player as well.

"I'd like to think there's not too much wrong but we want to improve."