Simon Cox - West Brom

[Day]

WEST Bromwich Albion striker Simon Cox is on Derby County manager Nigel Clough's summer wish list.

Clough is looking to add to his attacking options ahead of the 2010-11 campaign and Cox is thought to be among several possible targets.

West Brom are currently unlikely to entertain an approach for the 23-year-old, to buy or to sign on loan, but that situation may change should Baggies boss Roberto Di Matteo move to bolster his strikeforce following the club's promotion to the Premier League.

Cox scored 10 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions for Albion last season following his £1.9m move from Swindon Town.

Nine of those goals came in the Championship and he found the net in both league matches against the Rams.

Cox came through the ranks at home-town club Reading but, with first-team chances limited, he was sent out on loan to Brentford, Northampton Town and Swindon Town.

After scoring eight goals in 19 games for Swindon, he joined them on a permanent basis in January 2008.

He finished the 2008-9 season as the joint top scorer in all four divisions, with 29 goals in League One and 32 in total.

This kind of form attracted attention from a host of clubs at a higher level and he eventually joined West Brom last summer, signing an initial two-year deal, with the club having the option of another two years after that.

In the top flight next season, Cox would face competition from the likes of Roman Bednar, Ishmael Miller and Luke Moore, plus any new arrivals over the coming weeks.

Derby are also keen on Ssausagehorpe United striker Gary Hooper, Sheffield United front man Billy Sharp and Everton forward James Vaughan, who had a brief loan spell at Pride Park last season.

The Rams' leading scorer for the past two seasons, Rob Hulse, has been linked with a return to former club Leeds United.

Leeds boss Simon Grayson signed Billy Paynter on a free transfer from Swindon last week but has not ruled out bringing in another striker.

"Billy coming here doesn't mean to say that other strikers won't be coming in as well," said Grayson, who is also in the race to sign Hooper and Sharp.

Meanwhile, Derby have dismissed speculation linking the club with a move for Rotherham United striker Adam Le Fondre.

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/sport/Striker-Cox-Rams-radar/article-2277990-detail/article.html

[Day]

West Brom striker Simon Cox admits he may have to consider a loan move after finding first-team opportunities hard to come by at The Hawthorns.

The 23-year-old showed a glimpse of his goalscoring potential with the winning strike in Albion's 2-1 Carling Cup victory against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

The goal was his first of the season after only featuring in one of the Baggies' opening five games of the Premier League campaign.

His availability is likely to attract plenty of potential suitors, with Championship clubs Derby and Reading both strongly linked with the highly-rated frontman.

Cox told the Birmingham Mail: "I'm aware of the interest because I read newspapers but I've not had a conversation with the manager, or with (technical director) Dan Ashworth.

"If there is someone out there who would benefit me in the Championship then that is something I would look at but that's between myself, the manager and obviously any club interested.

"I want to fight for my place but I'm not one to sit around and be happy to pick up money.

"I want to play football, make a name for myself and if that means going out there and playing regular Championship football then that's something I'll look at."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11696_6395250,00.html

[Whoneedshuls]

This will be the same as hooper or sharp

all speculation and no outcome to give us faithful a glimpse of hope for some goals to cheer

Come on derby!

[Boycie]

I advise everybody not to get sucked into this "WILL HE WON'T HE" saga.