Nottingham Forest striker Lyle Taylor is set to head out on loan in the final days of the January transfer window.
The front man was not included in the matchday squad as the Reds eased to a 3-0 win over Barnsley at the City Ground.
And head coach Steve Cooper explained afterwards that Taylor is close to sealing a move away, before next Monday’s deadline.
The 31-year-old has struggled for regular game time since he made the move to the City Ground in the summer of 2020, more often than not finding himself on the substitutes’ bench.
“He’s got an imminent loan move coming up,” Cooper said.
“I’ve been fair with Lyle, and he’s been really fair with me and the club as well.
“He wants to play. He’s 30-plus, he lives for playing and I haven’t been able to give him that opportunity. At the same time, I didn’t want to stand in his way of getting games.
“Lyle has been good around the place. We’ve had a lot of open discussion from not long from when I first came in about what things may look like for him.
“If the move does go through, then we’ll wish him well and we’ll maybe talk about it after that.”
Taylor’s departure would leave Forest with Lewis Grabban and Aston Villa loanee Keinan Davis as the out-and-out strikers in the squad.
But the Reds boss hinted there could be further attacking business done before the window closes.
“We’d have Lewis and Keinan, and Xande (Silva), and Julian Larsson was in the squad today as well, although obviously he didn’t get changed,” said the Welshman.
“There’s a bit more of the transfer window to go as well.”
