Sporting and technical director Richard Garlick added: “Peter is hugely popular with our supporters and it is disappointing that he has decided to hand in a transfer request. It was immediately turned down and has done nothing to change our stance during January.

“Peter is under contract until the summer of 2014 and we have no need or desire to sell our core players. We want to keep the squad intact to enable us to build on an encouraging first six months of the season.”

Albion, the striker's first English club, rejected a QPR bid of around £2m a week and a half ago and had hoped that would end the matter. But Loftus Road boss Harry Redknapp has remained hot on the trail despite being busy with other targets and successful with at last kick-starting Rangers bid to climb out of trouble.

Odemwingie was impressive in Albion’s last game - the 2-2 home derby draw with Aston Villa - and scored their equaliser in the final ten minutes.