West Brom interested in Yeovil full-back Tom James

The 22-year-old was one of Darren Way’s most consistent performers in League Two last season and is expected to cost under £500,000.

Yeovil Town have only sold one player for cash in the past four years, and that was winger Otis Khan, who joined Mansfield Town earlier this summer for around £100,000.

However, there is interest in James from Swansea and Hull which could drive up the fee for the full-back beyond that.

“We don’t want to sell our best players but we are at least in a position to be remunerated for departures that will allow this club to continue to evolve,” said Glovers boss Way, earlier this month.

James is a versatile defender who plays predominantly right-back but can also fill in at left-back, centre-back or right midfield.

He is being chased by the Baggies to provide competition for Allan Nyom.

Capped for Wales under-19s, the Cardiff City academy product featured 51 times for Yeovil last season, helping them reach the fourth round of the FA Cup and the semi-final of the Checkatrade Trophy.

Albion have already signed two defenders this summer after selling Jonny Evans to Leicester for £3.5m and releasing Gareth McAuley.

The Baggies have snapped up Kyle Bartley from Swansea in a £4m deal potentially rising to £6m should they get promoted, and have brought in Conor Townsend from Scunthorpe for a fee in the region of £750,000.

However, there is still uncertainty surrounding the futures of Craig Dawson and Ahmed Hegazi.

Dawson handed in a transfer request earlier this summer in an attempt to force a move through to Burnley, although the Baggies are refusing to budge over their £20m valuation.

Brighton and Newcastle are reportedly interested in Hegazi.

Having been light on numbers at the back this summer, Baggies boss Darren Moore has been playing free agent Martin Cranie in defence throughout pre-season.

The 31-year-old, who was released by Middlesbrough in summer, is a contingency plan should Albion end the summer without enough bodies in defence.

The transfer window shuts in just over a week’s time on Thursday, August 9, but EFL clubs can still bring in players on loan until August 31.