Albion manager Mark McGhee claimed today Dan Harding could live to regret joining Leeds.

McGhee is not convinced that quitting the Seagulls for one of their Championship rivals is the right move for a player he believes is destined for the Premiership.

Harding is moving to Elland Road on a three-year contract. The fee for the England under-21 leftback will be decided by a tribunal, as Albion have not been able to agree a fee with Leeds.

McGhee admitted: "We are hugely disappointed that we have not been able to persuade Dan Harding to stay along with Adam Hinshelwood, Adam Virgo and Leon Knight.

"We think they and the other young lads can be the nucleus of a squad going forward into a new stadium and Dan didn't feel he wanted to be part of that.

"He has gone off believing bigger is better. If he had gone to a Premier League club there wouldn't be any argument but I think there is still a bit of a debate at this stage as to whether it is the right move for him.

"Financially it is obviously better for him. It is well documented that Leeds United's wage bill last year was something like £23 million against ours, which was well under £2 million.

"I think Dan, whether it is with Leeds or beyond Leeds, will eventually be a Premiership player. He has got all the attributes and towards the end of the season he started to come into his own.

"He can play, he's six feet plus, he's got a great engine and attitude towards his training.

"He needs to get more aggressive, which I think he will as he gets stronger, but to lose a player of his quality is a blow to me, regardless of the finances."

McGhee's hunt for a young, hold-up centre forward to partner Knight continues.

"There are a couple we know would do the job and we are exploring what they might cost and a little more homework on their personality as players," he said. "It is important to us to have somebody we can work with.

"I want people who have still got potential, who are hungry and want to get better as opposed to just going out and signing someone moving towards the end of their career. That doesn't excite me.

"The first option is to find a player that we can develop. The next rung would be a more experienced guy.

"We're trying hard, we're talking to people. We've not signed anybody yet, we're not close to signing anybody yet.

"We've had to rule some out because they are not available. We are looking in a certain market and one of the problems I keep reminding Dick Knight (chairman) and my staff about is that we are after good players and normally good players have alternatives as to where they can go. We have just got to concede we are down the list.

"If I was sitting talking to strikers and players this summer going into a 25,000 stadium, then it would be a different kettle of fish.

"There is no doubt in my mind if we'd had a stadium we would have kept Dan Harding."

One striker McGhee would love to get hold of is Southampton youngster Dexter Blackstock.

He was a target for the Albion manager last season before joining Plymouth on loan.

Saints are aware of McGhee's interest but they are unlikely to let Blackstock leave now that they have been relegated to the Championship and there are doubts surrounding the futures of both Peter Crouch and Kevin Phillips.