The Baggies are looking at a loan deal with a view to a permanent deal for 26-year-old Hegazy, who currently plays at Egyptian champions Al Ahly.

The 6ft 5in defender has been capped 39 times by Egypt, and has previously played for Fiorentina, although his three years in Italy were plagued with injury.

He spent half a season in Serie B with Perugia before Al Ahly snapped him up in 2015 on a five-year deal.

He was named in the team of the tournament for the 2017 African Cup of Nations, when he was an ever-present in the Egyptian side that lost out to Cameroon in the final.

Albion are looking into Hegazy after being told to stump up £8m by Chelsea to take Zouma on a season-long loan.

It means Zouma, who is expected to pen a new four-year Chelsea contract this summer before being loaned out, is now likely to end up at Stoke City with Mark Hughes.

With just four senior defenders at the club, Baggies boss Tony Pulis is desperately searching for a central defender this summer.

His primary target was Ben Gibson but Middlesbrough have told Albion the 24-year-old England international is not for sale, even though the player himself is keen to play in the Premier League.

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Pulis is also looking for a central midfielder, and yesterday, he handed a trial to 25-year-old free agent Jason Lowe in Albion's first pre-season game of the summer.

Lowe, who flew himself out to Austria late last week to join up with the Baggies, played right-back in the second half of the 2-1 defeat to Czech champions Slavia Prague at the Kumberg Stadium.

Pulis will now speak to the rest of his coaching staff before deciding whether to take Lowe to Hong Kong this Saturday ahead of the Premier League Asia Trophy.

A former captain of England under-20s, Lowe spent his whole career at Blackburn Rovers until the end of last season.

He was captain, but was one of eight players released by Rovers following relegation from the Championship.