West Brom in the race for Georgios Samaras

West Brom boss Alan Irvine today confirmed the club are in the race to sign free agent Georgios Samaras.

The 29-year-old had been linked with a move to the Hawthorns and the Baggies head coach admitted the Greece international is on the club's shortlist.

Irvine said: "He's a player we are aware of and he is a player who is on our list. We have been enquiring about him but nothing has been done as far as he is concerned at this particular moment.

"We have some lists that have been extremely long at times and then they have got shorter and then got longer again."

Samaras is currently a free agent after leaving Celtic at the end of the season but has also held talks with Spanish clubs Malaga, while Sevilla, Hamburg and Lokomotiv Moscow have also been linked.

Irvine said: "There is no doubt they are easier if they are free agents because you are at least in the position where you are taking another club out of the equation.

"You are not waiting for them saying whether they will sell the player or not. But, of course, free agents have a lot of options and you can find it is tough to complete the deal."

Irvine admitted Samaras' big-game mentality could aid the Baggies, after starring for his national side at the World Cup this summer.

This has not gone unnoticed by Albion, who have done their homework, and Irvine believes he is a player who could improve Albion's current squad.

He said: "We are trying to do our due diligence with every player. You contact everyone you know that would know a particular player or are in touch with people who know them.

"You find a way of getting as much information as possible. The picture of Georgios Samaras would be somebody who has played extremely well in some very big games over the last few years, for Greece and for Celtic.

"He looks like the type of player who could help us but we have to have a lot of different options on the go."