West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray is urging Kevin Phillips to sign a new contract at the club.

Phillips has stated he wants to remain an Albion player but Mowbray said the 34-year-old striker may have to be content with a one-year deal.

Mowbray said: "There is no question at all that he can continue next year. When players get to that age it is prudent for football clubs to look year-on-year and I think players at that age should be thinking year-on-year and seeing how they go.

"The positive for Kevin is that he is naturally a very fit guy. He has great enthusiasm and he has a target every game because like all great goalscorers he lives for scoring goals.

"He will set himself targets and while he is scoring at the ratio he has at the moment why wouldn't he continue and keep enjoying his football? We've got to hope that we keep him fit and strong and going mentally and I am not envisaging any problems contractually with Kevin."

Midfielder Zoltan Gera, who has scored four goals in the last five games, is another player out of contract in the summer and has yet to agree to a new offer from Albion.

Mowbray moved quickly to quash the rumours that Phillips, Gera and full back Paul Robinson were set to leave The Hawthorns during the transfer window, and said he was prepared to let them run out their contracts while Albion were going for promotion.

"Do they look as if they want to leave our football club? I would suggest not," Mowbray said. "We're not in a position where we are desperate for money and we have to accept bids for these players.

"If it means they help us get promotion while they see out their contracts then so be it.

"And the bottom line is that if they get offered contracts our offer might be their best offer.

"We are willing to take that stance but it's not a stance against the player.

"If a player comes to me and demands to go in January I will have an open and frank discussion and see what is best for the football club and for them.

"It seems to raise its head in every window but Paul Robinson falls into the same category as everyone else.

"He is part of a team that is going in the right direction and striving to get out of this league, and I would hope that he wants to be a part of it.

"If he doesn't then he knows where my door is and we can have an open and frank discussion.

"The team is what is important and I would like to think I'm not stupid, and don't let business just happen.

"Whether it be Paul, Zoltan or anyone else, I won't let it happen without making sure the team doesn't suffer.

"If anybody were to leave there would need to be replacements of a similar or better quality before they left."

Albion currently sit top of the Championsip but Mowbray is keen to play down talk of promotion.

"We're talking about accumulating points and promotion is something that gets stuck on the end if you get enough points to finish in the top two spaces," Mowbray said.

"We realise we're going to have to get as many as 90 points or at least in the high 80s but there is a long way to go and we don't want to get sidetracked by words like promotion. Why would anybody want to put any extra pressure on themselves?

"I'd like to think I am realistic enough to know you are only a defeat away from a potential crisis if you start building yourselves up too much and talking about promotion.

"What we are doing is building up points and ticking along as everybody else is and, at the moment, the points we have accrued have managed to put us top of the table.

"But let's see where we are at the end of January and then at the end of February and try to keep going."