Birmingham City manager Chris Hughton has made an inquiry about West Brom's Simon Cox - but Craig Gardner won’t be heading back to Blues.

The St Andrew’s boss is keen to recruit a new striker to boost his in-form, promotion-chasing side.

And, during the course of various conversations with clubs, he checked on Cox’s availability with the Baggies.

But nothing is doing, and suggestions that a swop could be on the cards involving Liam Ridgewell doesn’t appear likely either.

“Simon Cox, have we made an inquiry? Yes, we have,” Hughton confirmed to the Birmingham Mail.

“And this is part - if I look at the processes - of your communications with lots of clubs; you are wondering about which players would be available.

“Sometimes a question set back to me from a manager would be instead of me asking which players are available, which players am I thinking about?

“These are the kind of conversations I have. I have spoken about Cox and that’s it.”

Even though Cox is far from a preferred choice of Roy Hodgson’s, Albion are not of a mind to let him out anyway, on loan or permanently, at least at the moment.

Gardner’s situation at Sunderland is intriguing. He has not settled on Wearside and would entertain a move back to the city.

But, in the first instance, Blues would not be able to afford his wages currently, without Sunderland's help.

>>> Hughton on his Craig Gardner interest>>>>