Albion linked with two more players

Albion boss Roy Hodgson has warned that the Baggies' summer signings must be up for the fight - as two more players were linked with moves to the Hawthorns.

Lithuania international defender Marius Stankevicius and Montenegro midfielder Simon Vukcevic became the latest to emerge as possible targets, hours after Hodgson confirmed the club's interest in Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak and Ipswich defender Gareth McAuley.

But the Hawthorns head coach has warned that the characters of any potential recruits will be vital ingredients for next season's squad.

He said: "We will be looking for people who are reliable, hard-working, want to be here and want to buy into the way we play and what we do. People who understand it's not going to be all glamour, it's going to be hard work.

"Next year our major target of staying in this league again is going to be every bit as hard as it was this year.

"If we don't understand that and the players that come here don't understand that, then we will make a major mistake."

Stankevicius, aged 29, looks set to leave Italian club Sampdoria in the summer after failing to settle and spending two spells on loan in Spain with Seville and Valencia.

And his agent, Federico Pastorello, has claimed in the Spanish media that the Baggies have enquired about him.

The 6ft 3in stopper can play as a central defender or at full-back.

Reports in Portugal also claim the Baggies and Sunderland are among the clubs to enquire about Vukcevic, who looks set to leave Sporting Lisbon.

The attacking midfielder previously played for Partizan Belgrade and Saturn Moscow Oblast and has hit 14 goals in 75 games for Sporting, winning more than 30 international caps.

Hodgson has confirmed an interest in ex-Albion goalkeeper Kuszczak, who looks set to leave Old Trafford this summer, and Northern Ireland international McAuley, who is heading out of Portman Road on a free transfer.

He said: "They are players that fall into the West Bromwich Albion category. If they are available, they will certainly be players we'll discuss.

"At the moment, all that type of talk is pure speculation and I think there is going to be an awful lot of that in the next couple of weeks."