West Brom have reportedly beaten promotion rivals Stoke in the race to sign Aston Villa striker Luke Moore on loan until the end of the season.Albion are gunning for promotion to the Championship and are also in the FA Cup quarter-finals, so Tony Mowbray has moved to strengthen his attacking options as the season enters the final bend.

The Baggies are believed to have struck an agreement with Villa to take Moore on loan now with a view to a permanent £3.5million deal in the summer, which probably depends on Albion reaching the Premier League.

And they have beaten off competition from table-topping Stoke in the race for the 21-year-old's signature.

Mowbray has sent young forward Sherjill MacDonald out on loan to Hereford, so Moore will fight for a first-team place alongwith Ishmael Miller, Kevin Phillips, Roman Bednar and Craig Beattie.

He is firmly out of favour under Martin O'Neill at Villa Park, where John Carew, Marlon Harewood and Gabriel Agbonlahor are all ahead of him in the pecking order.

More Football News from TEAMtalk