Albion striker Evan Ferguson is reported to be a candidate for a January loan.

Which would make sense on some, but not all, levels as things stand in late November, still five weeks from the window opening.

The report is an exclusive from the Telegraph this afternoon.

It follows suggestions of such a possibility at the weekend.

So where does Ferguson stand on all this? Well, he has said he is in his best shape for some time after battling back from injury.

He has scored for club and country in recent weeks but has been coming off the bench for the former.

At the same time, Danny Welbeck leads Albion in minutes played and is in his best form and physical shape since joining the club four years ago.

A loan deal in the Premier League could work for the Irish youngster, similar to what appears to be the case so far with Facundo Buonanotte at Leicester.

But Albion would not want to help a potential rival for a European place.

And it could also leave them short of a genuine No.9 if, for example, Welbeck and Joao Pedro were to be out of action simultaneously.

Ferguson remains a bright prospect with experience which belies the fact he only turned 20 last month.

And, with seven demanding games still to play between now and the window opening, even the report from the Telegraph offers itself the get-out that things might change.

There is scope for injuries or loss of form – or for Ferguson to make a big impact again with the Seagulls.

Equally, if anyone wants to put a player’s name in headlines ahead of the next window, now would be a decent time to do it.

As ever, Albion's plans for the window will remain well under wraps. There is currently no comment on plans for Ferguson.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler spoke after the win at Bournemouth on Saturday about the importance of all his forward players, including those who are not getting much game time.

After seeing his frontmen produce enough magic to secure the win over a decent Cherries side, Hurzeler told reporters: “It is good to have this competition in the squad.

“We also missed Minteh today, Gruda and Julio didn’t play so we have a lot of options.

“It is very big competition and this competition improves the hunger, improves the individual player in training.

“We hope that we keep this availability.”

Julio Enciso will certainly be keen for more action, while, in other areas, Jakub Moder and Tariq Lamptey would appear good examples of players who could be frustrated by their current roles in a highly competitive squad.

Ferguson has not yet been used in place of Welbeck from kick-off this season but the latter’s versatility means it does not have to be a case of one or the other.

That happened at Newcastle, where Hurzeler started them both and felt it worked well in what was a very specific mission, even if Ferguson's use of the ball was not always what was required that afternoon.

The head coach said a few days later: “Evan is in great shape to be honest, mentally and also physically.

“The game against Newcastle wasn't that easy for him, but I like how he defended, how he worked for the team was impressive.

“That's a very positive point and that's also what I give him as feedback.

“Of course in possession, I think the players, they know it on their own, that they can be better.”

While Hurzeler may well want Ferguson as an option for the rest of the season, he is also more forward-looking than that and could have an eye to the player's longer-term development.

The head coach is likely to speak to the media again on Thursday morning ahead of the home game with Southampton against whom Ferguson scored twice last time they visited the Amex.

Those are the sort of headlines he can aim to make between now and the end of next month.