A new goalkeeper and a new goalscorer – Albion’s priorities for a second consecutive Premier League campaign focus on the sharp ends of the team.

Scott Carson’s impending departure throws open the goalkeeping position and rightly, or wrongly, most Baggies fans will feel here is a real opportunity for head coach Roy Hodgson to make a significant improvement.

Of equal importance will be the hunt for either an understudy or support striker for Peter Odemwingie.

The Nigerian international’s 15 goals and countless assists gave the Baggies a cutting edge that was dulled whenever he was injured or struggling for form, both inevitable components of any player’s season.

With the African Nations Cup scheduled for the new year to be factored in to Hodgson’s calculations as well – always presuming Odemwingie resolves his differences with their national coach – finding an alternative will be the other major task for Albion’s increasingly-effective recruitment team.

Carson rarely convinced behind a defence which, to be fair, was always vulnerable because of the open nature of Albion’s style.

Hodgson will get a full pre-season to tighten the rivets in front of his team’s goal, but will also feel that a more dominant and commanding figure behind them could be worth an extra half-dozen points.

Finding that figure is where it gets tricky. The most obvious is also the most ambitious and possibly the most unrealistic.

Albion freely admitted to being in the market for Manchester City’s Shay Given but the bookies are convinced he is Aston Villa-bound.

His high salary level at City would certainly present a problem for Albion, but what a coup a signing of that stature would prove.

Instead, it is more likely Hodgson will have to make his choice from a cast-list of three.

The Baggies boss must decide whether West Ham’s Robert Green would arrive in the form that got him into the England side as opposed to the more fragile keeper seen since his World Cup horror moment.

Now that Manchester United have signed a new No 1 in David Van Gea, Albion old boy Tomasz Kuszczak  has effectively been challenged to go ahead with his threat to quit Old Trafford – could he be the answer?

Otherwise Steve Harper, seemingly frozen out at Newcastle, is also set to go on the market.

But is Newcastle’s third choice what Albion really require? Andm if the bookies have got it right about Given and Alex McLeish, what about Ben Foster, the terrific keeper Villa’s new manager left behind at Birmingham?

Foster is a ‘home bird,’ happily settled in the region and allegedly unconcerned about the loss of the Premier League stage with Blues now that he has withdrawn from England consideration. Albion could present a seamless switch for the Leamington-based keeper.

At the moment, we can see Hodgson deepening the options of the most impressive feature of his squad – the midfield – with plans to recruit Zoltan Gera and David Vaughan of Blackpool.

Both are due to give their decisions certainly in time to join Albion’s USA trip in 10 days time should the answer be ‘yes.’

But if Hodgson had to start this campaign with last season’s midfield, he wouldn’t be bitterly upset.

The head coach does, however, want a new threat up front to supplement Odemwingie, who is bound to find himself targeted for extra attention in his second campaign.

Would West Ham’s Carlton Cole, Reading’s Shane Long or Fulham’s Andy Johnson fit the bill? Could Albion put together a package to try for a marquee signing such as Craig Bellamy from City?

Probably more fitting the Albion profile are pacey Blackpool pair DJ Campbell and the under-rated Matt Phillips.

But trying to find better than what they have for the still-modest price band in which Albion operate is a challenge sporting director Dan Ashworth concedes is particularly taxing this summer.

With that in mind, this particular part of Albion’s summer transfer story is set to run for a while yet.

By Martin Swain