I actually feel sorry for the kids who's already got 'Cole' on their jerseys and wondering if they can squeeze a 'J' onto it.
Cole hasn't been a regular starter for Grant this season and Hodgson admits the England international is a player he watched before the close of the last transfer window.
However, despite keeping an eye on the forward, Hodgson claims no offer was ever made for the player.
He added: "Cole is a good player and was one of the players I was watching and we were looking at a lot of forwards.
"He was one I watched and we talked about but we didn't make any particular move for him.
"At Liverpool we are always linked with every player but I do like Carlton Cole and think he's a good player but there was no offer made for him."