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Jeremy Peace will close in on his next Albion manager over the next seven days with the odds on Paul Clement succeeding Pepe Mel being slashed after Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph.

Clement’s odds tumbled to 4/1 after he had helped Real to their tenth European Cup victory. Clement actually remains an odds-on favourite for the Brighton job ahead of ex-Albion boss Tony Mowbray.

Chris Hughton is still the favourite to succeed Mel at The Hawthorns but Clement’s post-match assertions that he is right to move into management after spells at Chelsea and Paris St Germain saw big money put his way for the Albion job over the last 24 hours.

Peace has spoken about holding talks with as many as seven candidates and those talks will gather pace this week.

The Albion chairman is in no mood to rip apart the system he has created with a Head Coach working in conjunction with a recruitment team.

But he also admits mistakes have been made and is therefore willing to tweak that system.

Peace remains unwilling to pay compensation for a Head Coach when so many qualified candidates are out of work.

A good majority of Albion supporters are hopeful that David Moyes might be enticed to move to the Midlands.

Neil Lennon has been ruled out of the running by Albion sources.

Significant backing has been received for former Cardiff boss Malky Mackay who is highly thought of within the corridors of power at The Hawthorns.

But to suggest the shortlist is down to a three-man candidacy is far too premature.

All this comes at a time when Albion are trying to sign players with an interest Ipswich left-back Aaron Cresswell well and truly lodged.

Gareth McAuley says he cannot wait for the season to begin.

“The boys are talking about coming back for pre-season already,” he said.

“They’re talking about coming back and putting it right.

“We need to get off to a good start because last year we didn’t have the best of starts and we never really got going.

“We really need to get going in pre-season this year.”

McAuley added: “Since I’ve come here it’s always been about improving on the last season.

“We have to get that right now, get our heads down in pre-season – the lads who are here and any new lads who come in – get ourselves together and make sure we don’t have another season like last.”