American Idol is on the hunt for new judges, but who and what qualities are they really searching for?

Speculation surrounds the idea that Fox may bring in a three-judge panel filled entirely with Idol alum. Meanwhile other sources claim that Jennifer Lopez is looking to return to the show.

Executives are looking to recapture some of the core audience and bringing back someone from the early days of the series would be one way to do that, according to The Wrap. Names of past Idol competitors that are currently circulating around the web include Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken.

Hudson was reported to have already signed a contract for season 13. However, The Wrap claims that while a deal was created between Hudson and production companies FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, Fox has yet to sign off on the agreement.

One of the suspected reasons for this delay is the possibility that Fox is holding out for Kelly Clarkson. A representative for Clarkson told The Wrap on Tuesday that the Idol winner will not become a judge. These sentiments were also expressed several weeks ago by The Hollywood Reporter.

Another problem with signing Hudson is since Fox lost their alternative programming exec Mike Darnell there is no one who can currently green light the decision, according to the Huffington Post.

In January Hudson was reported to have claimed that Idol had run its course.

"I think it should just allow itself to go out on top... and gracefully," Hudson said according to Celebuzz.

One major problem Idol seems to have is the salary required of big name judges. Fox reports that Miriah Carey received $18 million, Lopez garnered $15 million, and Nicki Minaj took home a cool $12 million. The Wrap reports that Husdon's payday would only be between $4 and $5 million.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez was reportedly in talks with the station to come back to Idol for a second run.

"They're talking. Negotiations are in their infant stages, but they're underway to get her back to the judges' table," a source told Radar.

Still others believe that someone who isn't a celebrity and isn't a performer should be seated with the judges.

"[They should] get an industry person - whether it is a journalist, A&R person, producer, manager etc.," said Lyndsey Parker, Yahoo! Music managing editor, according to Fox. "Someone who knows what they are talking about and isn't a celebrity just using the show to promote their other projects."

Three or four judges spots are still open for the taking and it remains to be seen who the show will chose.

Tags: American Idol