Mark McGhee warned today that Dan Harding and his other young Albion stars could be snapped up by the Premiership fat cats.

McGhee fears the endless delays over plans for a new stadium at Falmer will eventually rob the club of their brightest prospects.

The manager's warning follows reports linking England under-21 leftback Harding with Everton.

"If Everton and a lot of other clubs aren't keeping tabs on the likes of Dan Harding, Adam Virgo and Adam Hinshelwood then they are not doing their job," McGhee said.

"These boys are good players and they are going to get better and better, so we can expect that to come.

"We need that stadium to keep these boys, because in 18 months' time if we have not got a stadium on the way then we are going to find it very difficult to persuade these boys to stay when there are Premiership clubs or other big Championship clubs knocking on our door."

Harding has yet to sign a two-year contract extension offered by Albion and McGhee is convinced his agent had a role in the Everton link.

"Don't let's hide from that," McGhee said. "There is absolutely no doubt his agent will be playing a part in that.

"I know David Moyes well, I played with David. If necessary I will pick up the phone and I will ask David if it is right or wrong and he will tell me.

"Dan is under contract to the end of this season and we are hoping he will re-sign here."

Meanwhile, McGhee has predicted Leon Knight's season will really start at Nottingham Forest tonight.

Albion's marksman, dropped to the bench for the last home game against Queens Park Rangers, broke his duck with Saturday's penalty winnner at Gillingham after missing the start of the campaign through suspension.

McGhee said: "He has turned some sort of corner. I do feel there is a change in him.

"We beat Gillingham 1-0 and the difference between us beating them and not beating them was Leon.

"But the difference between us beating them 1-0 and 3-0 is Leon going the next step and I sense he is about to do that. The penny has dropped.

"I've spoken to him about being absolutely electric, particularly when the ball comes into that last third. We are now getting more ball into feet in that last third and he has now got to really come alive."