Albion want to keep strike duo Jay Simpson and Marc-Antoine Fortune for next season – and they are keeping tabs on Swindon hotshot Simon Cox.

Manager Tony Mowbray has revealed he wants to retain the on-loan pair, whichever division the Baggies find themselves in next season.

Albion have spoken to Arsenal about a season-long loan for 20-year-old Simpson, while Mowbray is keen to turn Fortune’s loan from Nancy into a permanent transfer.

The manager said: “Marc knows we would like to keep him regardless of what happens. He’s shown his quality and talent.

“But we’re not in the driving seat. He’ll probably sit down at the end of the season and decide what he thinks. There is no ‘lockdown’ for us in his contract.

“We can’t just say ‘you’re staying’, regardless of what happens. It’s an open-ended contract. If we were to go down and he decided he didn’t want to play in the Championship, he wouldn’t have to.”

The Baggies boss has tested the water with the Gunners on the possibility of keeping Simpson, who made an explosive start after joining on loan in January but whose form has dipped of late.

Mowbray said: “It’s something we’ve tipped-toed into with Arsenal. At this moment we’ll keep those conversations in-house. But it is something we’ve explored and we’ll see what’s decided in the longer term.”

Weekend speculation linked the Baggies with a move for free-scoring Swindon striker Simon Cox.

The 21-year-old has hit 27 goals this season for the League One club and hit a recent hat-trick in a 4-3 win at Northampton that was watched by Mowbray’s assistant, Mark Venus.

But, while the manager admitted Cox will inevitably have been watched by Baggies scouts, he played down the significance of the spying missions.

He said: “I think a lot of people are keeping an eye on Simon Cox. He is scoring a few goals and you’re not doing your job if you’re not looking at him.

“I’m not keeping my eye on him personally, but I would imagine our recruitment department and our scouts are watching a lot of players for the future.

“Depending what division we are in, they will be looking at different scenarios and at this stage of the season speculation starts to grow.”