New Albion manager Chris Hughton faces competition if he wants to re-sign Greg Halford.

Championship rivals Fulham and Millwall are interested in the utility player, who has returned to parent club Nottingham Forest after a successful loan spell with the Seagulls.

Halford, pictured, has impressed at centre-half during Albion’s three-match unbeaten league run, culminating in Monday’s 2-0 win at Fulham under caretaker Nathan Jones.

Hughton has lost the versatile 30-year-old, along with fellow loanees Darren Bent, Gary Gardner and Elliott Bennett, from the squad for his first game at Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The former Norwich boss is assessing his options for the January transfer window after keeping close tabs on the Championship while out of work.

He told The Argus: “You’ve always got your thoughts and targets but sometimes, with the players you would like or might be interested in, it’s two different things in wanting them and getting them.

“I’ve used the time this season to watch a lot of games, mostly Championship games, so I’d like to think I know the division very well.

“We’ll spend a lot of this month going through the targets we have and the targets that are already aligned here with the recruitment department.”

Albion chairman Tony Bloom refused to discuss whether there is interest in re-signing Sussex-based Palace centre-forward Glenn Murray, two-goal wrecker of the Seagulls on loan to Reading on Boxing Day.

Bloom said: “It wouldn’t be fair to talk about individual players. It puts pressure on either the player or the recruitment team. We’re looking at lots of possibilities but so are a lot of other clubs. It will be an interesting January. The two main areas for us are midfield and up front.”

Hughton will have Jake Forster-Caskey back from illness for the Brentford tie.