West Brom facing 'huge competition' for Manchester City striker Liam Delap

Albion are back in the transfer market for a striker - after £7 million January signing Daryl Dike suffered another injury set back and faces at least two months on the sidelines with a thigh tear.

Bruce revealed last week that Albion are now having to tweak their transfer plans in a bid to bring in a replacement for the US international - and it has emerged the 19-year-old is on their radar.

Delap has played six times for City's first team and Pep Guardiola has confirmed the club are in the process of sending the youngster out on loan.

Asked about the interest in Delap, Bruce said: "Who wouldn't be? We'll see. Me and everybody else too [are interested]. He's an outstanding talent. We've got huge competition.

"He's a young player that everybody up and down the country would love to have in their team.

"With anything like that, we've got to be patient. We're doing our utmost. We'll see what develops in the next couple of days. Hopefully when we get something, you'll be the first to know."

On a wider search for a striker, the Baggies boss insisted they aren't in a position to make things happen 'overnight', adding that the club need to be 'patient and creative'.

Bruce added: "We're still trying our hardest to see if we can bring somebody in to help us. We're scouring. You might have to take a gamble, you have to be aware of what's out there. Let me tell you, we weren't in the market for a striker, because we had three number 9s here, unfortunately two of them are broken.

"We've had to abandon the plans we had in place, because now the essential part is getting an option at the top end of the pitch. Granty's playing there, but some would argue his best position is towards the left.

"You think you're close on something, and then all of a sudden it shuts, but we'll keep bashing away. Hopefully we'll come up with something. I think it's important that the supporters know we're trying.

"With Mowatt going last week, that enables us to go back into the market again. All our plans were shelved with Dike. We're not in a position to do it overnight. We've got to be creative, and patient."

Earlier in the transfer window, the Baggies boss revealed he was weighing up whether to send young full backs Ethan Ingram and Zac Ashworth out on loan to give them first team experience.

Centre half Caleb Taylor is player who has been sent out on loan already this summer and will spent the season at League One side Cheltenham Town - but with the changing situation Bruce explained the full backs won't be going anywhere.

He added: "They ain't going anywhere at the moment because of the numbers we have got."