Baggies to slap in £4m duo bid

The highly-rated midfield duo are among Tony Mowbray's top transfer targets as he bids to reshape his squad.

The Baggies boss, who gave Thomson, aged 23, and Brown, 21, their break at Easter Road, has cash to spend and a vacancy to fill in midfield following the £1.5m sale of Nigel Quashie to West Ham.

That won't be enough to land the pair, who are also firmly on the radar of Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic, without a further sale, with Nathan Ellington and Zoltan Gera the most likely candidates.

Hibs insist they have yet to receive a bid from Albion, but admit contact has been made. "There has been no firm bid at all from West Brom," said a spokesman. "There has been contact but that is as far as it goes."

Albion had identified the pair, who have both been in contract disputes with Hibs, as summer targets, but the interest from the Old Firm has led them to act now.

But Collins insists he's determined to hold on to Brown and Thomson for the rest of the season.

"I am confident that Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson will be at Hibs beyond the January transfer window," said Collins.

"There will come a time when they will move from here. That is probably inevitable, but not in the immediate future. I won't sell until the time is right."

The Baggies remain in the hunt for Luton pair Rowan Vine and Leon Barnett as a £3m package. But they face stiff competition for Vine from Blues, who are understood to have an agreement with the Hatters giving them an option to match any offer they accept.