West Bromwich Albion’s attacking performances this season have been sublime, with Darren Moore’s side scoring a breathtaking 44 goals in the opening 21 fixtures of the season.  

Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez have led the line with real purpose and have returned 10 goals apiece, making them the club’s top goalscorers at this stage of the season.

It’s expected that when January comes, there will be interest in the latter, with a real chance that Premier League clubs will be in to lure Rodriguez out of the Hawthorns and back to the top table of English football.

That’s certainly something that many would see as a blow, but it’s one the Baggies could afford so long as his partner in crime remains a Baggie for the foreseeable future.

It has taken Gayle just 18 appearances and 1,134 minutes of football to net his 10 goals and he is once again proving how prolific he is in the Championship.

Whilst having the option of both him and Rodriguez is good for Moore, you can certainly argue that Gayle, 28, is more important to this side in the No.9 role.

He’s got the experience of winning promotion from the Championship recently and he’s also returning his goals much quicker than Rodriguez, who has played more than 700 minutes more than Gayle.

If you asked every Championship side who they would want out of the pair, the majority would go with Gayle, who just consistently provides a goal threat at this level, whatever side he finds himself in.

There’s no denying that Rodriguez is a great forward and he’s probably more suited to the top-flight than Gayle, but for West Brom’s current cause, the latter is vital.

Losing Rodriguez in January is a possibility, but it isn’t a blow if Gayle’s service is retained.