West Bromwich Albion goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely has admitted that the Baggies do not know whether Ben Foster will join the club on a permanent basis in the summer.
Foster, 28, joined on loan from Birmingham City in the summer, and is due to return to the Championship club at the end of the season.
Kiely has insisted, however, that he is hopeful a deal can be struck between the two sides.
"I would love him to be a West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper for the next three, four, five, six or however many years. But he's a Birmingham player, we've got him on loan, and his future will be decided by a lot of factors, some of which are out of our control," Kiely told Sky Sports News.
Foster has five England caps to his name.