Striker swap ruled out

West Brom head coach Roy Hodgson has moved quickly to rubbish reports linking Peter Odemwingie with a part exchange move to Fulham.

It had been suggested that the former Cottagers boss was keen to team-up with Andrew Johnson again at the Hawthorns and he would head to the Midlands in a swap deal involving Odemwingie. Hodgson however is adamant that there is no truth in the speculation as he sees the Nigerian forward as a key player in the Baggies' future plans. He is also bemused at the rumour that Johnson is a player he is targeting this summer, even though he doesn't deny his admiration for the former Crystal Palace marksman. Hodgson told reporters: "Peter Odemwingie is an important player for us and a player we believe in and a player we want to keep and a player who is not for sale. "We don't welcome offers for Peter Odemwingie. He is a West Brom player at the moment and will be next season. "We want to keep him and he is under contract. Very simple really. "It is very irritating when people just out of the blue suddenly start linking us with other players. "I presume the link with Andy Johnson is based on the fact we worked together at Fulham and it is a player I admire as a footballer. "He did a great job for me but, to be fair, he is not a player we've actually discussed in terms of next season."